Box Score JUPITER, Fla. – The No. 15 Nova Southeastern baseball team (22-7) dropped a heartbreaking 13-inning game Friday against the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (13-14-1), 4-3, at the Roger Dean Complex.
The Sailfish and Sharks played through four innings of free baseball before the home team broke through with a walk-off single through the left side by Joel Buchko, scoring Ethan Perla. Current South Region Player of the Week
Alexander Fernandez (Jr., Davie, Fla.) (0-1) started at first base but finished the game on the mound and took the first loss of his NSU career. PBA's Dominic Monda (3-1) secured the victory.
Offensively, NSU was led by
Andres Visbal (Fr., Miami, Fla.), who went 3-for-7 with a run scored and two stolen bases.
Geoff Jimenez (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) went 2-for-5 in the leadoff spot and also added a run and two stolen bases.
Ryan Woodrey (Jr., Lighthouse Point, Fla.) ended the night with two of his team's three RBI.
The first inning went quick, after teams traded double plays. Each pitcher allowed just one hit in the stanza. The Sharks threatened to start the scoring in both the second and third innings, getting runners on second. However, PBA starter Kennie Silvestri stranded the Sharks runners on both occasions.
After
Roberto Baroniel (Jr., Miami, Fla.) kept The Sailfish to two hits in the first couple of frames, the home squad broke through after a two-error third, defensively for the Sharks. PBA managed to bring two across, making the NSU play catch-up for the first time since its game against St. Thomas.
The Sharks cut the lead in half in the fourth, after Visbal led off the inning with a base knock to shallow left. Visbal then moved over to second, during
Brooks Fleming's (Sr., Palm City, Fla.) at bat, on his sixth stolen base of the year. Visbal then moved over to third, during the same at bat, this time on a wild pitch. Fleming's tough plate appearance paid off, as he picked up a RBI groundout to the shortstop.
Jimenez led off the sixth, forcing a team-high 16th walk of the season. He then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch that found its way to the backstop.
Alvin Swoope (Fr., Port St. Luice, Fla.) reached first and put Jimenez on third, after a fielding error by the PBA third baseman. Visbal, the next batter in the order, hit a high-chopper to the third baseman, moving Swoope to second, but holding Jimenez at third to load the bases. After Silvestri held all runners on a short fly out to center against the next two Sharks batters, Woodrey stepped up in a big way, striking a two-out, two-RBI single back up the middle, scoring both Jimenez and Swoope, to give the Sharks the 3-2 lead.
The Sailfish answered quickly, when in the next half inning, they hit a two-out single to bring in the tying run. PBA threatened for more, when they were able to load the bases, however, Baroniel struck out the final batter of the inning, stranding three Sailfish base runners.
NSU threatened in the top half of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with two outs. However, Sailfish reliever Robbie Pettet got the team out of the jam to keep the game tied at three.
Ronald Patella (So., Davie, Fla.) came in to relieve Baroniel in the seventh and held the home side scoreless through two innings of work.
The Sharks missed out on a golden opportunity in the ninth, stranding the bases loaded.
Josh Glick (So., Boca Raton, Fla.) entered the game in the bottom of the frame to pitch a perfect side and send the game to extra innings.
PBA had a chance to end it in the 10
th, putting runners on the corners with just one out. Glick got himself out of the jam, picking up a strike out, then forcing a fly out to center. NSU had another opportunity to retake the lead in the 11th, putting a runner on third, but could not capitalize.
The pendulum would swing again, as PBA looked to be on its way to the win in the 11th, loading the bases with just one out. Head coach Greg Brown kept Glick in the game and it paid off. The next batter grounded to Liberty at third, who was able to get the force out at home. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Glick struck out the final batter of the side.
The action calmed down in the 12th inning, with NSU going 3-up-3-down and Fernandez coming in to keep PBA hitless in the 12th.
Yandy Viera (Jr., Hialeah, Fla.) led off the final frame and started another potential rally. After falling into a 1-2 hole, Viera drew three-straight balls to take his base. A Jimenez sac bunt and a single from Swoope put Sharks on the corners with one out. But in a flash it would end, as the Sharks were caught stealing and struck out in the next at bat.
PBA won the game with a rally that started with a one-out walk from Perla. The runner would advance to second on a ground out and make a big play by stealing third base. With two outs on the board, NSU was one strike away from going to the 14th inning, but Buchko singled through the left side for the win.
Although the game did not go NSU's way, it was another chapter in what has been a close rivalry between the Sharks and Sailfish. Since 2010, NSU is 12-11 against PBA. NSU will have four more opportunities against the Sailfish this season, beginning with a doubleheader in Jupiter, Fla. Saturday at 1 p.m.
For the latest NSU news and results, be sure to visit
www.NSUSharks.com. To have results sent directly to your cell phone via text message, sign up for SMS text message delivery by
clicking here. For the latest news, be sure to sign up for the Shark Alert E-newsletter by
clicking here.
