FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern baseball team pounded out 17 hits, yet a tough defensive night and an early 6-0 deficit proved too much to overcome, as the Sharks dropped a midweek matchup with St. Thomas (Fla.) by a final score of 15-9 on Tuesday.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Records: St. Thomas (Fla.): 29-10, Nova Southeastern 26-10
Score: St. Thomas (Fla.) 15, Nova Southeastern 9
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Instagram & Twitter – @NSU_Baseball
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bobcats came out swinging and instantly put NSU in a 6-0 hole after tallying seven hits alone in the first inning, including a two-run home run off the bat of Robin Fernandez.
The Sharks would show some pop of their own, though, and chip away with a pair of runs in the home half of the inning after to a two-run triple by
Daniel Irisarri.
Reliever
Kyle Morse steadied NSU on the mound by putting up three consecutive zeroes to keep the Sharks within distance, down 7-3 entering the bottom of the fifth. That's when
Adam Frank roped a double down the leftfield line to plate
Duncan Pastore all the way from first before Irisarri added another RBI on a single into left, narrowing the margin to 7-5.
The defense was far from crisp, however, as two errors contributed to a three-run sixth that allowed the Bobcats to reopen a 10-5 lead.
NSU took advantage of a couple STU miscues in the bottom of the sixth to pull back within three. However, that's as close as the Sharks would get the rest of the way, as the Bobcats scored in each of the final four frames to secure the 15-9 victory.
STATS OF THE NIGHT
- Gabriel Rivera connected on his third homer of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning.
- Eleven different players recorded at least one hit for the Sharks, including both Irisarri and Pastore, who each finished 3-for-4 at the plate.
- The 15 runs allowed by NSU matched a season high.
UPCOMING
NSU will open a three-game Sunshine State Conference series this Thursday at 6 p.m. on the road at Palm Beach Atlantic.