BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (34-14) lost for the first time in the 2012 NCAA South Region Tournament, falling to the eighth-seeded Stillman Tigers (31-16), 6-4, Friday at the UT Baseball Field.

Ray Navarro (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and Blake Boyd (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) each went 2-for-4 in the contest. Navarro recorded one run while Boyd earned a RBI. Nikko Echevarria (Sr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) and Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) also had multiple-hit games against the Tigers. Echevarria scored the game’s first run while Sujo drove in one run. 

The Sharks fell into an early hole against the upstart eighth seed, but had plenty of opportunities to rally throughout the game. The first opportunity came in the first inning, when the Sharks loaded the bases with one out. Sujo drove home Echevarria from third base on a single to left field. The Sharks went on to strand three runners on base after two straight fly balls.

The Sharks and Tigers traded runs in the second inning, with Navarro reaching base on a single and advancing three bases on two errors. Stillman took their lead with a four-run third inning. The Tigers loaded up the bases, with two out of three runners reaching base on a bunt attempt. After the Sharks walked in the tying run, Jarius Brown recorded the hit of the game, a three-run double.

Mauricio Rodriguez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) entered the game after the double with no outs on the board and retired the next three batters. Rodriguez would go on to pitch six innings and hold the Tigers to one run, which came in the sixth inning. Rodriguez struck out three batters and held the Tigers to five hits.

The Sharks had at least one runner in scoring position in four of the next six innings, but could only convert them into two runs. The Sharks scored a run in the sixth inning when Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) led off with a walk. Boyd would score him from third base on a double to left field. The Sharks scored again in the ninth inning, as Regoli hit a double to right centerfield. Two at bats later, Sujo hit a line drive that went through the glove of the second baseman, scoring Regoli from second.

The Sharks had the tying run come to the plate multiple times down the stretch of the game, including the final at bat. In the end, the Sharks left 11 runners on base. Stillman ace Josh Cagle earned the win by throwing 140 pitches over eight innings.

The Sharks move on to an elimination game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Lynn at the UT Baseball Field.

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