FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks were unable to hold onto leads in both games of their doubleheader with the fifth-ranked Tampa Spartans at the NSU Baseball Complex on Saturday, done in by a four-run frame in the middle innings, losing 7-5 and 9-6, respectively.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: Game 1 Final Score: No. 5 Tampa – 7, No. 1 Nova Southeastern – 5 Game 2 Final Score: No. 5 Tampa – 9, No. 1 Nova Southeastern – 6
Records: Tampa (20-2, 6-0 SSC), Nova Southeastern (17-3, 3-3 SSC) Location: NSU Baseball Complex, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_Baseball | Instagram - @NSU_Baseball | Facebook - /NSUBaseball
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE:
A two-run double by Daniel Irisarri got the Sharks on the board in the first inning, but the Spartans knotted things up just two batters into the second. A solo shot put Tampa ahead in the fourth, but Adam Frank returned the favor for the Sharks, continuing his hot hitting with his own two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
Unfortunately, as it did on Friday, the game started to get away from the Sharks, this time in the seventh. A pair of lead-off singles chased Daniel Rivero from the game, and Jacob Bove allowed a third to the only batter he faced to tie the game. Matt Ornelas followed and allowed a walk to load the bases and two more singles. He struck out the next two batters, but a second walk brought in the fourth run of the inning, putting the Sharks in a 7-4 hole.
The Sharks threatened in their final two opportunities, with an infield single by Alejandro Macario getting one run back, but strikeouts of the potential winning run with two on and two out each time ended any possibility of a comeback.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME TWO:
In the second game, the Spartans scored first on an RBI single just three batters into the game, but the Sharks answered immediately with two of the same off the bats of Frank and Irisarri. After a leadoff walk and a hard line-drive single that deflected off pitcher Jeremy Cook, the Spartans seemed primed for a big inning in the top of the third, but the Sharks defense had other ideas, making one of their best plays of the season so far. Kolbe Aven caught a low pop-up and, noticing the runners too far off-base, quickly threw down to Tyler Epstein at second, who then sent it on to Adam Frank at first to complete the rare triple play.
The Sharks added to their lead in the fourth inning, sending Spartans starter Nick Long from the game in the middle of an at-bat with runners on the corners and nobody out. Despite a strikeout to finish off the at-bat, new reliever Alex Passarella struggled with control, with a hit batter, a four-pitch walk, and a pair of wild pitches gifting the Sharks two runs before another new pitcher came on to finish the job. The two teams traded runs in the fifth inning, but Tampa picked up another four-spot in the sixth, taking the
lead for good on a bases-clearing double just inside the third base bag. Michael Avendano launched the first home run of his Shark career to lead off the seventh, but it was sandwiched between two more run-scoring innings for Tampa, giving them the 9-6 lead that they would carry through to the end of the game.
STATS OF THE DAY
· Despite the Spartans allowing just one home run in their 19 games entering the series, the Sharks tallied three on the weekend, with one in each game. The offense has now homered in 16 of their 20 games on the year.
· Michael Avendano's home run made him already the 13th different Shark to hit one so far this season.
· Adam Frank continued his torrid pace, with multi-hit performances in all three games. He was 8-for-14 and accounted for the first two home runs in the series. He extended his team-best hitting streak to 15 games, with multi-hit efforts in each of the last seven.
· The last triple play turned by the Sharks defense occurred in the 9th inning of a game vs. Rollins on May 2, 2014, also at the NSU Baseball Complex. That one was a classic 1-4-3-5-1 triple play with Ronald Patella, Alex Fernandez, Andres Visbal, and Kavan Thompson taking part in history.
UP NEXT
On Wednesday, the Sharks will face off with the Caldwell University Cougars on neutral ground at the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lake Worth, Fla., with first pitch set for 6:00 P.M.
