BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (16-4, 2-1 SSC) recorded its second Sunshine State Conference victory to open the weekend series against the Eckerd Tritons (12-12, 1-6 SSC), winning 11-2 Friday at the NSU Baseball Complex.
Zachary Westcott (So., Weston, Fla.) (6-0) earned his sixth win in as many starts this season as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Tritons, before finishing his night in the eighth. He struck out five batters held all runners from reaching third base in his first seven innings. Westcott did not allow a walk until the eighth inning. He now holds a 1.65 ERA with a .200 opposing batting average in conference play.
Offensively,
Daniel Petitbon (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led the charge by going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and a walk.
Areo Regoli (Sr., Homestead, Fla.), who’s now batting .400 with a .900 slugging percentage, went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.
Carlos Asuaje (So., Weston, Fla.) went 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI. Asuaje moved his batting average to a team-best .467.
The Sharks had a tall task ahead of them as they faced reigning SSC Pitcher of the Year Joey Cuda. The Sharks’ potent offense made quick work of the all-region talent, as Cuda was limited to 3.1 innings pitched. Cuda allowed five earned runs, seven hits and two walks. Petitbon lit up Cuda early with his fourth home run of the season. After Regoli drew a two-out walk, Petitbon fell into a 0-2 count. The right fielder worked his way into a full count before launching the ball past centerfield.
With a two-run lead, the Sharks tripled the scoring difference in the second inning.
Blake Boyd (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) drew a walk and, after a single from Asuaje, would score on a fielding error. The Sharks rattled Cuta after the error with three straight singles. Regoli recorded a RBI while Petitbon drove home two.
The Sharks scored again in the sixth when Regoli hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Asuaje. NSU added three more in the seventh, stretching their lead at the time to 10-0.
Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) singled to right centerfield and scored on an error.
Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) and Asuaje both picked up a RBI in the frame.
After the Tritons tacked on their two runs in the eighth, Regoli capped off the night with his tenth home run of the season. Leading off the eighth inning, Regoli took one pitch before sending the ball off the scoreboard in left centerfield. Regoli has put himself among the nation’s best hitters and is making a case for the Tino Martinez Award for the top-player in NCAA Division-II. Entering the week, only four players in the country had 10 home run and only five had slugging percentages over .900.
This marked the Sharks’ fifth-straight win, with NSU scoring in double-digits in every game.
NSU will conclude its series against the Tritons in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at the NSU Baseball Complex.
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