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Box Score 2
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (6-0) continued its perfect start to the season, completing the sweep over Albany State (3-4). The Sharks took game one handily, 9-4, and then won game two in dramatic fashion, 4-1.
The Sharks' 6-0 start is the most wins to start a season in the history of the program, dating back to 1988-89.
The sweep also extends the Sharks' winning streak against Albany State to 12.
Andres Visbal (Fr., Miami) finished the series strong, going a combined 4-for-6, with three RBI, bringing his season RBI total to five. He also scored three times.
Seth Natal (Jr., Oakland Park, Fla.) (1-0) picked up his first win as a Shark and was the key to the second game. Natal pitched six innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits and recording five strikeouts.
After being down for the first five innings of game two, Visbal knotted it up in the bottom of the sixth. He singled through the right side, bringing home
Alexander Fernandez (Jr., Davie, Fla.) from third.
Brooks Fleming (Sr., Palm City, Fla.) tried to become the go-ahead run, but was tagged out at the plate, during the Visbal base hit.
Later in the inning, sophomore
Casey Gibson (Fort Myers, Fla.) came up with a huge two-out single to the first baseman, who Gibson outhustled to reach first safely, bringing home Visbal from third.
The final two runs of the game came on a bases loaded walk to
Alvin Swoope (Fr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) and a
Geoff Jimenez (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit-by-pitch.
Ronald Patella (So., Davie, Fla.) picked up his second save of the season, closing out the game with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.
The Golden Rams pitcher, John Paul Benard (0-1), pitched an outstanding first four innings, allowing just three hits, stunning the Shark batters early on.
Fernandez put together a solid hitting performance in game two, going 2-for-3 with a run.
Albany State's lone run came in the third inning.
The first game of the day was a 9-3 blowout behind a strong six innings of work from
Mitchell Buerosse (Sr., Lighthouse Point, Fla.). Buerosse (1-0) struck out six and walked just one, picking up his first win of the season.
The Sharks came out of the gates quickly, scoring three runs in the first. Albany State clawed their way back, picking up a run in the third and fourth to cut the NSU lead to one.
NSU wouldn't let the game get any closer, breaking out in the fourth inning with six runs. The Golden Rams made another comeback attempt scoring two in the sixth, but it wasn't enough, as
Drew Packard (Sr., Knoxville, Tenn.) came in the seventh sitting down three straight Albany State batters to end the game.
Yandy Viera (Jr., Hialeah, Fla.) finished the game going 2-for-4, bringing in three runs, two of which came off a double to left in the fourth. Fleming picked up his seventh RBI of the season, scoring Swoope from second, for the sixth run of the game.
Visbal picked up two RBI, one in the first and one in the fourth, on a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
Angel Navarro (Jr., Miami Lakes, Fla.) also had a 2-for-3 performance, scoring a run in the fourth.
The Sharks will complete their marathon weekend tomorrow, with a doubleheader against Pfeiffer College beginning at 1 p.m. at the NSU Baseball Complex.
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