FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Freshman
Jeffrey Cyr delivered in the biggest moment of his young career, notching the game-tying RBI in the bottom of the ninth, before
Andrew Liberty sent Nova Southeastern home in walk-off fashion as the Sharks overcame three separate seven-run deficits to knock off Wilmington (Del.) 14-13 Tuesday night at the NSU Baseball Complex. Trailing by a run with one way in the final inning, Cyr stepped off the bench and singled a 1-2 offering up the middle to pull Nova Southeastern even with the Wildcats for the first time in the ball game. Three batters later, Liberty played hero after executing a perfectly placed bunt on a do-or-die play, sending the dugout into a frenzy. The wild comeback marked the second straight for the Sharks against the Wildcats, having erased a nine-run deficit the last time both clubs faced off exactly five years ago today.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 14, Wilmington (Del.) 13
Records: Nova Southeastern (8-6, 4-2 SSC), Wilmington (3-4, 0-0 CACC)
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_Baseball | Instagram - @NSU_Baseball | Facebook - /NSUSharksAthletics
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Consecutive errors on the first two pitches of the ball game set the tone for what appeared would be a long night for the Sharks. Before fans had even settled into their seats, Wilmington had already pushed across five runs to grab the early lead.
In the ensuing inning, the rocky start continued when Wilmington's Max Carney connected on a three-run blast to stretch the advantage to 8-1. However, the Sharks would slowly begin to chip away. Without even recording a single hit in the third, Nova Southeastern tallied four runs, two coming on back-to-back bases-loaded walks by Nick Gallo and Liberty.
Still, the Sharks struggled to get over the hump and once again found themselves down by seven runs as the contest entered into the home half of the seventh. Trailing 13-6,
Ian Acevedo narrowed the gap on a two-run single through the left side of the infield. The real damage was done, though, when
Christian Kuzemka stepped to the dish with two aboard and launched a no-doubt, three-run homer deep over the wall in left center to trim the margin to 13-11.
Following an RBI-groundout by Gallo in the bottom of the eighth, Nova Southeastern entered the home half of the ninth in need of only one run to force extras. Those soon weren't needed, however, after
Bryan Diaz ignited the rally with a one-out triple off the fence in straight-away center. With the infield pulled in, Cyr then ripped a liner back up the middle, setting the stage for Liberty's walk-off hit.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- Bumped up to the lead-off spot in the order, Dylan Harris finished with three hits, including a triple, and five runs scored.
- Liberty reached base in all six plate appearances, recording three RBI's.
- Kuzemka's seventh-inning homer marked his first as a Shark.
- The NSU bullpen surrendered only two earned runs over the final six innings
UP NEXT:
NSU will open up a three-game set at home against Lander this Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of the action, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_Baseball or visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com.
