FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern University baseball team split the doubleheader against No.13 North Georgia and took one of three games against No.2 Tampa in conference play to go 2-3 on the week. The victories improved the Sharks' record to 21-15 overall and 9-9 in conference play.

GAME 1
Records: Nova Southeastern 19-13 | No.13 North Georgia 32-9
Scores: Nova Southeastern 1, No.13 North Georgia 2
Location: Bob Stein Stadium | Dahlonega, Ga.
Pitching Decisions: W: Chandler Thiel (3-0) L: Turco-Rivas, Antonio (1-1)

• The Sharks turned to Miguel Diaz for the start in the opening game of the doubleheader against North Georgia. Diaz worked around early traffic in the first two innings, stranding three runners while keeping the Nighthawks off the scoreboard.
• North Georgia threatened again in the third after drawing back-to-back walks, prompting Nova Southeastern to go to Eduardo Echevarria out of the bullpen. Echevarria delivered in a big moment, retiring all three batters he faced to strand both runners and preserve the scoreless tie.
• Nova Southeastern broke through in the top of the fourth inning when Jorge DeGoti launched a solo home run to left field, giving the Sharks a 1-0 advantage. Later in the inning, Sebastian Garavito added a double and Joel Cabrera drew a walk, but NSU was unable to bring home additional runs.
• North Georgia answered in the bottom half of the frame with a solo home run from Caleb Farr, evening the game at 1-1.
• Frankie Billisi entered in relief for the Sharks and turned in a strong outing, working through two scoreless innings while striking out key batters and limiting North Georgia's opportunities. Nova Southeastern threatened in the sixth and seventh innings with baserunners from Garavito and Emilio Gonzalez, but could not capitalize.
• The Nighthawks broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh. After a single and stolen base put the go-ahead run in scoring position, a wild pitch allowed North Georgia to plate the eventual winning run and take a 2-1 lead.
• North Georgia's bullpen shut the door from there, retiring the Sharks in order in the eighth and working around a leadoff walk in the ninth to secure the 2-1 victory.

GAME 2
Records: Nova Southeastern 20-13 | North Georgia 32-10
Scores: Nova Southeastern 16, North Georgia 5
Location: Bob Stein Stadium | Dahlonega, Ga. 
Pitching Decisions: W: Perez, Christopher (2-1) L: Avery Brown (1-2)

• The Sharks erupted for one of their most explosive offensive performances of the season in game two of the doubleheader against North Georgia, scoring 16 runs and piling on early to secure a dominant 16-5 victory.
• Nova Southeastern wasted no time jumping on the Nighthawks in the opening inning. Nick Rodriguez and Jorge DeGoti each worked walks to begin the game before Emilio Gonzalez drove in the first run with an RBI single to center. Michael Arnold followed with an RBI walk, and a North Georgia error allowed another run to score. Manny Ramirez then ripped a two-run double into left-center before Rodriguez added a two-RBI single up the middle. Later in the inning, Anthony Stinson capped the massive frame with a two-run homer to right, as the Sharks exploded for 11 runs in the first inning to seize immediate control.
• North Georgia answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but Nova Southeastern continued to pour it on in the third inning. Stinson doubled to lead off the frame and later scored on a wild pitch. Michael Arnold followed with an RBI double, Manny Ramirez delivered an RBI single, Nick Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk, and Jorge DeGoti added an RBI single as the Sharks pushed their lead to 16-1.
• The Nighthawks mounted a brief response in the bottom of the third, plating four runs on five hits to trim the deficit to 16-5, but Nova Southeastern's bullpen quickly shut down any comeback hopes.
• Caden Garro delivered a scoreless fourth inning in relief, Nyle Banks followed with 1.2 shutout innings, and Frederico Zapata closed out the final 1.1 innings to secure the run-rule victory.
• The Sharks finished with 12 hits in the win, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Manny Ramirez, Nick Rodriguez, Emilio Gonzalez, Anthony Stinson, and Jorge DeGoti as NSU overwhelmed North Georgia from the opening pitch.

Records: Nova Southeastern 21-13 (9-7 SSC) | No.2 Tampa 28-7 (14-2 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 1, No.2 Tampa 0
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Pitching Decisions: W: Manning, Nick (6-1) L: Robert Satin (8-2) S: Gonzalez, Ricky (3)

• The Nova Southeastern Sharks opened their matchup against Tampa with a strong early punch, leaning on pitching and timely offense to secure a 1-0 victory.
• The Sharks struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when Emilio Gonzalez launched a solo home run to left field, giving NSU an immediate 1-0 advantage. That early blast proved to be all the offense Nova would need on a night dominated by pitching on both sides.
• On the mound, Nick Manning set the tone early, working through the Tampa lineup efficiently and keeping the Spartans off balance through six strong innings. Manning limited Tampa to just scattered base hits and a handful of baserunners, consistently working ahead in counts and inducing weak contact to preserve the lead.
• Tampa threatened in the middle innings, putting runners on in the fifth and seventh, including a double in the seventh that briefly put pressure on the Sharks' defense. However, Nova Southeastern responded with clutch pitching and a key bullpen appearance from Ricky Gonzalez, who entered in the seventh inning and immediately shut down the momentum.
• The Sharks' defense backed up the pitching staff with clean execution, turning key outs and preventing Tampa from advancing runners into scoring position late.
• Offensively, NSU was limited after the first inning but still managed to add baserunners in the second, fifth, and eighth innings behind hits from Michael Arnold, Nick Rodriguez, and Jorge DeGoti. While the Sharks couldn't extend the lead, their early run held firm throughout the game.
• Tampa continued to battle into the ninth, but Nova Southeastern's pitching staff closed the door, retiring the side to secure the shutout and complete the 1-0 win.

GAME 1
Records: Nova Southeastern 21-14 (9-8 SSC) | No.2 Tampa 29-7 (15-2 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 5, No.2 Tampa 4
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Pitching Decisions: W: Tobin Moran (1-0) L: Echeverria, Eduardo (1-1)

• The Nova Southeastern University baseball team battled the Tampa Spartans in a tightly contested, extra-inning showdown that featured late-game swings and dramatic momentum shifts before NSU ultimately fell 5-4 in 10 innings.
• The Sharks struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when Jorge DeGoti launched a solo home run to give NSU an early 1-0 advantage. From there, both starting pitchers settled in, as runs were hard to come by through the middle innings. Nova Southeastern threatened periodically, but Tampa's defense and timely outs kept the Sharks from extending their lead.
• The game remained 1-0 until the seventh inning, when Tampa finally broke through. A two-out rally produced a pair of runs on an RBI single and an RBI double, giving the Spartans a 2-1 lead. The Sharks answered right back in the bottom half, manufacturing a run to tie the game at 2-2 and keep momentum on their side.
• In the eighth inning, Nova Southeastern regained control. After drawing traffic on the bases, the Sharks capitalized on free passes and hit-by-pitches, pushing across two runs to take a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth.
• However, Tampa responded in dramatic fashion in the top of the ninth, launching two solo home runs that erased the deficit and tied the game 4-4, sending the contest into extra innings.
• In the 10th, the Spartans broke through again, taking advantage of a leadoff base runner and a defensive miscue. A run-scoring single pushed Tampa ahead 5-4, and the Sharks were unable to respond in the bottom half despite putting pressure on the defense.
• Nova Southeastern showed resilience throughout the game with key contributions from DeGoti's early home run and timely hitting across the lineup, but Tampa's late power surge proved decisive in the Spartans' 5-4 extra-inning win.

GAME 2
Records: Nova Southeastern 21-15 (9-9 SSC) | No.2 Tampa 30-7 (16-2 SSC)
Scores: Nova Southeastern 2, No.2 Tampa 3
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Pitching Decisions: W: Cade Drohan (2-0) L: Billisi, Frank (0-1)

• The Nova Southeastern University baseball team closed out its series against Tampa with a strong start on the mound and early offensive execution, but late-game heroics by the Spartans ultimately swung the outcome in a 3-2 loss for the Sharks.
• Nova Southeastern got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first inning when Jorge DeGoti doubled to right field, setting up early pressure. After moving to third, he eventually came around to score on a sequence of at-bats that gave NSU momentum and an early 1-0 lead.
• The Sharks held that advantage until the fourth inning, when Tampa answered with a two-out rally. A pair of base hits produced an RBI single that tied the game at 1-1, neutralizing NSU's early edge.
• Nova Southeastern responded in the bottom of the fifth. After DeGoti singled, Emilio Gonzalez delivered a clutch double to right-center, driving in the go-ahead run and putting the Sharks back in front 2-1.
• Pitching and defense controlled much of the middle innings, with both teams struggling to generate sustained offense. NSU's staff worked out of several jams, including traffic on the bases in the sixth and eighth innings, but Tampa continued to threaten.
• The game turned dramatically in the ninth inning. With the Sharks still leading 2-1, Tampa strung together a late rally highlighted by a two-run home run that flipped the score to 3-2 in the Spartans' favor.
• Nova Southeastern had one final chance in the bottom half. Nick Rodriguez singled and advanced into scoring position, and the Sharks brought the tying run to the plate, but Tampa's bullpen closed the door to secure the comeback win.
• Despite the loss, NSU received key contributions from DeGoti's extra-base hit and Gonzalez's RBI double, while the pitching staff kept Tampa largely contained until the final inning.

The Sharks return to midweek action against the Barry University Buccaneers on Tuesday, April 14th at 6p.m at the NSU Baseball Complex in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. To stay up-to-date on the Sharks follow on Instagram and X @NSU_Baseball.