FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 18 Nova Southeastern baseball team (4-1, 2-1 SSC) broke out the bats on Saturday afternoon at the NSU Baseball Complex, avenging the Friday loss to Barry (2-3, 1-2 SSC) with a 13-3 rout, taking an early lead in the Sunshine State Conference standings by clinching the series win. Highlighting the day, left fielder
Christian Demby lit up the scoreboard while starting left-handed pitcher
Nathan Campbell kept the Buccaneers under wraps.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern –
13, Barry –
3
Records: Barry (2-3, 1-2 SSC), Nova Southeastern (4-1, 2-1 SSC)
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
For the first time in the 2019 season, the offense was quick to deliver NSU some runs right away. The Sharks jumped out in front of Barry in the first inning, 2-0 - three consecutive two-out hits capped by a two-run
Christian Demby double straight down the right center alleyway.
The Sharks then capitalized on a Barry miscue in the second with the inning extended on a throwing error at third, using
Mike Rojas' extra life to score on
Nathan Chevalier's RBI bloop single into center field.
Although the Bucs took one back on a first-pitch Justin Lamazares home run, the third inning turned the tide completely in favor of the Sharks – NSU exploded for five runs on six hits, forcing the first of six Barry pitching changes. In the frame, Demby again got the Sharks under way, belting a solo home run, ahead of a two-run dinger for
Brandon Chinea. Designated hitter
Daniel Irisarri and
Nathan Chevalier chipped in consecutive RBI doubles and the Sharks closed the frame with a commanding 8-0 advantage.
Jeffrey Cyr collected an RBI as a hit batter in the fourth and a second Demby homer, this time for two runs, broke the game wide open.
Duncan Pastore's sac fly and Cyr's RBI groundout added a couple more NSU runs in the seventh and eighth, respectively, while the Bucs snuck in a couple of late runs against NSU relief pitching.
With the win, the Sharks claimed the 2-1 series win, taking the early conference lead as the only game in league play this weekend.
Overshadowed by the big hitting but giving the Sharks' offense the cushion to hit loose, the rookie starter Campbell made the most of his second career outing. The St. Petersburg, Fla. native tossed 6.0 innings, allowing just three hits and a single run while striking out eight Bucs for his first career win.
STATS OF THE GAME:
- NSU scored in 7-of-8 innings on Saturday.
- Demby paced all hitters, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and a double, accounting for five RBI.
- Chevalier was also 3-for-6 with two RBI and one run, notching a double.
- The Sharks outhit the Bucs 18-6, holding Barry to just three hits through the first six innings.
- For the third time in five games, NSU collected double-digit runs.
- While the Sharks hit .439 as a team with 14 batters coming to the plate, NSU held Barry to just .194 batting.
- The Sharks were .500 with two outs and .435 with runners aboard.
FROM COACH GREG BROWN:
- "One of the things I'm really proud of is the way we bounced back," Brown said. "Rubber matches are hard in SSC, but we came out and our bats were hot. There was only one inning in which we didn't score. All the credit goes to Nate Campbell and what he did on the mound – complete control, even when we had long innings, he was kind of unflappable. I'm just really proud of that performance – that's the kind of performance that it takes to win series."
NEXT:
The Sharks head north for the first road swing of the season, set for a three-game series in South Carolina at No. 8 North Greenville, Feb. 15-16 in Tigerville. For complete coverage of the action, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_Baseball or visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com.