BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (35-14) is now the last Sunshine State Conference standing, as the Sharks eliminated the Lynn Fighting Knights (35-15) from the NCAA South Region Tournament by winning, 8-4, Saturday at the UT Baseball Field.

Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) had another solid postseason outing, going 1-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. His biggest hit came in the eighth inning, when he drove home three runs on a double down the right field line. Areo Regoli (Sr., Homestead, Fla.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored while Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) recorded two RBI.

Vinnie Contaldi (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) did not get the decision but pitched well in his first postseason start. After an unearned run scored in the first inning, Contaldi kept Lynn scoreless until the seventh inning. He held the opposition to six hits in 6.2 innings pitched. Mike Gonzalez (Jr., Miami, Fla.) (5-1) earned the win by allowing only one run in 1.1 innings pitched. Sean Tighe (Sr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) closed the game out by holding the Fighting Knights scoreless in the ninth inning. All three pitchers did not allow a walk in the game. It was the second game in a row against Lynn in which the Sharks did not allow a walk.

Lynn put themselves on the board in the first inning after a throwing error in the infield. The Sharks went scoreless until the fifth frame, when the Sharks took the lead with a pair of runs. Clements led off by reaching base on balls and was bunted over by Blake Boyd (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.). Clements advanced to third base and crossed home on two wild pitches. The Sharks took the lead when Nikko Echevarria (Sr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) reached on a walk and was plated on Regoli’s second triple of the season.

NSU increased their lead to two runs by scoring again in the sixth inning. Alex Marrero (Jr., Miami, Fla.), who made his first-career postseason start, led off with a single through the right side. Marrero advanced to third after a groundout and a fielders choice, setting up Clements’ first RBI on a groundout to the shortstop.

Lynn tied the game in the seventh inning and took a one-run lead by scoring again in the eighth. With their season on the line in the bottom of the eighth, the Sharks had their biggest inning of the weekend and scored five runs. Marrero and Daniel Petitbon (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) each took one for the team as they both were hit by a pitch. Eric Acevedo (Jr., Miami, Fla.) moved the runners over and reached base on a bunt single towards third base.

With the bases loaded, Clements swung on the first pitch he saw and sent all runners home on his big double. With no outs on the board, Carlos Asuaje (So., Weston, Fla.) laid down the sacrifice bunt to move over Clements and set up an intentional walk for Regoli. Sujo drove home the Sharks’ last two runs with a single to shallow centerfield. Tighe closed out the game, striking out one batter in the ninth.

The Sharks move on to face either Delta State or West Florida Sunday at noon. If they are victorious, they will face either Stillman or Alabama-Huntsville immediately afterwards.

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