AIKEN, S.C, – Top-ranked Nova Southeastern let a two-run lead slip away in the bottom of the ninth inning as No. 3 South Carolina-Aiken earned a dramatic, 11-10 walk-off victory in the much-anticipated series opener between both clubs Thursday night.
Jeremy Vasquez finished 3-for-6 at the plate with a pair of home runs and his second six-RBI effort this week. However, after what initially appeared to be some key insurance for the Sharks, the first baseman's ninth-inning blast wasn't enough in a ball game in which Nova Southeastern collected four home runs as a team.
The defeat drops the Sharks to 14-5 on the season, while the Pacers improve to 17-3 overall.
Following an extended at-bat in the fourth inning, Vasquez finally got a pitch he could handle and launched a three-run shot to left center to lift Nova Southeastern to an 8-6 edge.
A solo homer from USC-Aiken's Skylar Mercado closed the gap to 8-7 in the home half of the inning. That lead would stick until the top of the eighth when Sharks' right fielder Andrew Liberty would double the margin to 9-7 following a no-doubter beyond the wall in left. The redshirt-junior has now recorded a home run in consecutive games and has scored two runs apiece in three straight.
Vasquez's first-pitch bomb in the top of the ninth helped Nova Southeastern maintain the two-run cushion with only three outs to get. Yet, after a Conner Durden RBI-single trimmed the lead to just one, the table eventually became set for USC-Aiken's Tyler Ammerman. One inning removed from connecting on his fourth long ball of the season, the Pacer shortstop proved to be a pest for the Sharks yet again with one away in the bottom of the ninth. Facing a 1-2 count against Sharks' pitcher Josh Glick, Ammerman poked a soft liner into right center, just deep enough for the winning run to beat the throw home from Liberty in the outfield.
Jancarlos Cintron opened the ball game with a lead-off home run to left. Together, he and centerfielder Kevin Suarez combined to go 6-for-11 in the loss.
NSU will look to bounce back and even the series up in game two Friday, set for 6 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of the action, log onto NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_Baseball.
