FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern University baseball team secured a Sunshine State Conference series win over No. 22 Rollins College at the NSU Baseball Complex, improving to 12-12 overall and 5-7 in conference play.

GAME 1
Records: Nova Southeastern 10-12 (3-7 SSC) | No.22 Rollins College 18-5 (9-1 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 3, No.22 Rollins College 6
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 
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• In the first game of the series, the Sharks turned to Nick Manning on the mound to get the start against Rollins.
• Manning came out sharp, working efficiently through the early innings. He allowed just two hits across the first two frames and kept Rollins off balance, stranding a pair of runners in the opening inning while adding key strikeouts to settle into the game.
• NSU broke through in the bottom of the second inning. Michael Arnold sparked the offense with a two-out single and then stole second to move into scoring position. Dakota Jones followed with a clutch base hit to center field, bringing Arnold home and giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
• Manning continued to dominate on the mound, retiring Rollins in order in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. He consistently attacked the zone and limited any offensive momentum, holding Rollins scoreless through six innings of work.
• The Sharks added to their lead in the fifth inning with aggressive base running. Dakota Jones drew a walk and swiped second before advancing to third on a sacrifice. Jorge DeGoti then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Jones and extending the Sharks' advantage to 2-0.
• Rollins responded in the top of the seventh inning, capitalizing on an error to ignite a rally. A two-run home run tied the game before a series of walks and timely at-bats allowed Rollins to plate four runs in the inning, taking a 4-2 lead.
• The Tars continued to build momentum in the eighth, adding two more runs on an RBI single and a passed ball to extend the lead to 6-2.
• Despite the deficit, the Sharks showed life in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jack Cue led off the frame with a solo home run to left field. However, Nova Southeastern was unable to mount a full comeback, as Rollins recorded the final outs to secure a 6-3 victory.

GAME 2
Records: Nova Southeastern 11-12 (4-7 SSC) | No.22 Rollins College 18-6 (9-2 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 3, No.22 Rollins College 1
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 
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• In the first game of the doubleheader, the Sharks once again leaned on a strong pitching performance from Federico Zapata to keep Rollins in check early.
• The game remained scoreless through the first inning, as both sides were retired in order aside from a lone Rollins single. The Sharks broke through in the bottom of the second inning when Michael Arnold launched a solo home run to left field, giving Nova Southeastern an early 1-0 lead.
• From there, the Sharks pitching staff was dominant. Zapata worked through multiple innings of traffic, stranding runners in the fourth and sixth innings, while the defense turned a key double play to erase a Rollins threat. Rollins continued to put runners on base, but timely strikeouts and solid defensive execution kept them off the scoreboard through seven innings.
• Nova Southeastern had chances to add on, including a Dakota Jones double in the seventh, but Rollins pitching limited the damage and kept it a one-run game heading into the late innings.
• In the top of the eighth, Rollins finally broke through. After a leadoff single and a throwing error moved the runner to third, a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded brought in the tying run, evening the score at 1-1.
• The Sharks responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning. After a walk by Nick Rodriguez, Roylan Quevedo delivered the biggest swing of the game, crushing a two-run home run to left field to put Nova Southeastern back in front, 3-1.
• With the lead in hand, the Sharks closed it out in the ninth. Despite a pair of walks putting pressure on the defense, Nova Southeastern recorded two strikeouts to end the game and secure the 3-1 victory.
• The Sharks combined timely hitting with clutch pitching, highlighted by home runs from Michael Arnold and Roylan Quevedo, to earn the win and split the series 1-1.

GAME 3
Records: Nova Southeastern 12-12 (5-7 SSC) | No.22 Rollins College 18-7 (9-3 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 14, No.22 Rollins College 5
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 
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• In the final game of the series, the Sharks found themselves in an early hole before erupting offensively to secure a dominant victory over Rollins.
• Rollins struck first in the top of the opening inning, a combination of hit batters and walks loaded the bases before a bases-loaded walk brought in the first run. Elvin Figueroa followed with a two-RBI single to center field, giving Rollins a quick 3-0 lead.
• NSU wasted no time responding in the bottom half of the inning. After loading the bases, Emilio Gonzalez delivered the biggest swing of the game early, launching a grand slam to right field to flip the score and give the Sharks a 4-3 lead. The Sharks kept the pressure on, adding another run later in the inning on an RBI single from Jack Cue to take a 5-3 advantage.
• Rollins trimmed the deficit in the second inning with a sacrifice fly, but the Sharks continued to answer offensively. In the third inning, the Sharks capitalized on free passes and timely hitting, as Nick Rodriguez, Jorge DeGoti, and Roylan Quevedo each drove in runs to extend the lead to 8-4.
• The Sharks added to their cushion in the fourth inning when Emilio Gonzalez doubled and later scored on a play that included a throwing error, pushing the lead to 9-4.
• Nova Southeastern's offense stayed hot in the fifth inning. RBI singles from Emilio Gonzalez and Michael Arnold plated two more runs, extending the Sharks' lead to 11-4.
• Rollins managed to get one back in the sixth inning on a double play ball, but the Sharks continued to pile on in the bottom half. Jorge DeGoti delivered an RBI single, and later in the inning, a run-scoring groundout brought in two more runs, stretching the lead to 14-5.
• From there, the Sharks pitching staff shut the door. The bullpen limited Rollins to just a handful of baserunners over the final three innings, keeping the Tars off the scoreboard and preserving the commanding lead.

• Emilio Gonzalez: 3-11, HR, 2B, 6 RBI
• Roylan Quevedo: 4-13, 3 RBI, game-winning HR (Game 2)
• Michael Arnold: 5-9, HR, 2 RBI
• Nick Manning: 6.0 innings, 1 ER, 7 strikeouts
• Federico Zapata: 7.1 innings, 1 ER, 8 strikeouts

The Sharks return to action in a non-conference midweek against the Barry Buccaneers at Feinbloom Field in Miami Shores on Tuesday, March 24th at 6:00 p.m. The Sharks will then head to West Palm Beach to take on the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish starting on Friday, March 27th at 6:00 p.m. To stay up-to-date on the Sharks follow on Instagram and X @NSU_Baseball.