GAME ONE BOX | GAME TWO BOX
SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University baseball team (18-13, 3-6 SSC) dropped both games today in the doubleheader against Saint Leo (23-10, 4-5 SSC) to finish off the three-game road series. The Sharks fell, 13-5, in the first before dropping the second, 6-3.
GAME ONE
The Sharks fell in a one-inning malfunction, which cost them the lead and the game. Despite the loss,
Jose Rodriguez (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.) set the tone for NSU offensively, going 3-for-4 at the dish with one run scored, followed by
Kevin Reynolds (Jr., Ft. Myers, Fla.), who went 2-for-3, which included a lead changing two-RBI homerun and two runs scored.
On the hill,
Zachary Westcott (Jr., Weston, Fla.) got the start for the Sharks, facing 26 batters, allowing two runs on seven hits, and recorded two strikeouts.
Roberto Baroniel (So., Miami, Fla.) (1-1), in as the second relief, was credited with the loss, his first of the season, facing only six batters and allowing six runs on four hits.
The Lions took an early lead for the second consecutive time against the Sharks in the home half of the first, registering one run on three hits to put the Sharks down early, 1-0. The Sharks, after two scoreless innings, returned fire in the top of the fourth off a two-run bomb over the left field wall by Reynolds, which scored Rodriguez from third, who reached on a stand-up double to the wall during his at bat to take the lead, 2-1.
The Sharks kept the pressure going, scoring a run in the top of the fifth off a hard-hit ball down the left field line by
Eric Acevedo (Sr., Miami, Fla.), which scored
Angel Navarro (So., Miami Lakes, Fla.) from first, who reached on a single to right center field.
The Lions responded in the bottom of the sixth off a wild pitch, cutting the Sharks lead by one, but NSU took charge once again in the top of the eighth, scoring two runs off a ground ball single up the middle by
Brett Clements (Sr., Riverview, Fla.) to extend their lead, 5-2.
The Sharks found themselves in a late game, pitching dilemma, which allowed the Lions to claw back into the game and regain a significant lead, scoring 11 unanswered runs on seven hits in the bottom of the eighth to claim the second game of this series, 13-5.
GAME TWO
Starting on the mound in the second game of the doubleheader was
Mitchell Buerosse (Jr., Lighthouse Pointe, Fla.) (3-3), who pitched a total of 4.2 Innings, facing 21 batters, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts in his third loss of the season.
The Sharks weren’t able to generate much offense, only having four hits in the contest, but leading the way was Rodriguez once again, who went 2-for-3 with one double and a run.
The Sharks drew first blood for the first time in this series in the top of the third off a SAC fly to left field by
Carlos Asuaje (Jr., Weston, Fla.) which rounded Navarro from third to score. Navarro started the inning off with a stand-up double to right center and was advanced to third on a SAC bunt by Acevedo before scoring on the SAC fly.
The Lions responded right away, scoring two in the bottom of the third off a RBI ground ball to second, scoring a runner from third and a RBI fly ball to left field, scoring a runner from second to take the lead back from NSU, 2-1.
Alex Marrero (Sr., Miami, Fla.) got the offense going in the top of the fourth with a stand-up double down the right field line, which advanced Reynolds to third after he walked in his at bat, but the Sharks were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position.
The Lions began to slowly extend their gap between the Sharks, scoring four runs, one in the fourth and three in the fifth, which extended the lead, 6-1.
The Sharks were able to cut the deficit to three in the sixth, off two wild pitches in the dirt, which scored Rodriquez then Reynolds from third. Rodriguez reached on a double to left field and advanced to third on a fielding error by the Lions left fielder during Reynolds at bat, before advancing home on the wild pitch.
The comeback proved to be too little too late for the Sharks, as they were unable to generate any more offense in the remaining inning and fell once again to the Lions by a score of 6-3, which concluded the three-game series with Saint Leo.
The Sharks will be back in action again next week in a three-game series on the road in West Palm beach, Fla. to take on Palm Beach Atlantic, April 5-6.
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