BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 8 Nova Southeastern baseball team (25-6) won a 10-inning pitching duel against the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (16-15), 2-1, Friday at the NSU Baseball Complex.
Zachary Westcott (So., Weston, Fla.) pitched arguably his best game of the season in his ninth start of the season. Westcott became the first pitcher since Mike Fiers in 2009 to throw over nine innings in a game, as he pitched 9.1 frames. Westcott did not walk a batter and held the Sailfish to five hits. He gave up one run in the 10th inning but it was unearned, bringing his ERA to 1.37 over 66 innings pitched this season.
However, Westcott’s streak of eight straight victories came to an end, due to the great performance from Palm Beach Atlantic’s Logan Thomas. Thomas, who had a no-hitter through the first seven innings, allowed only five hits over 9.2 innings pitched, giving up just one earned run while striking out six batters. Thomas pitched a complete game, throwing 140 pitches before giving up the loss.
Both pitchers cruised through the first nine innings, as both teams could only put one runner in scoring position during regulation. Westcott held the opposition from reaching second base through the first eight innings. The Sharks had a runner stranded on 3rd in the eighth inning, while the Sailfish had the same dilemma in the ninth.
A costly error put a runner in scoring position for the Sailfish in the 10th inning. The runner eventually scored off three walks in the frame, putting the Sharks in a hole for the first time all night.
Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) answered in the bottom of the 10th with a one-out home run off the scoreboard in left field. It was his third home run of the season.
Alex Marrero (Jr., Miami, Fla.) continued to build momentum for NSU and followed Sujo’s at bat with a single to right field. Marrero stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error.
Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) put himself on the bottom of the dog pile, recording a walk-off single through the right side. The winning run was unearned for Thomas.
Sean Tighe (Sr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) (3-1) recorded his third victory in relief, stranding three runners on base in the 10th inning.
The Sharks will continue their series against the Sailfish on Saturday in a doubleheader at the NSU Baseball Complex beginning at 1 p.m.
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