DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Baseball team extended its winning streak to a season-high seven games after completing the Sunshine State Conference series sweep over the Embry-Riddle Eagles on Friday at Silwa Stadium. Jack Cue and Nick Rodriguez led the NSU offense in game one of the doubleheader, as each of them recorded three runs batted in, powering the Sharks to a 16-4 win. In the series finale, Federico Zapata – the reigning Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Week – threw his second consecutive complete game – while Cue and Matthew Corpas each added another two runs batted in, giving NSU a 5-3 victory.
Records: Nova Southeastern 21-16, 13-8 SSC | Embry-Riddle 20-21, 5-16 SSC
Scores: (Game One) Nova Southeastern 16, Embry-Riddle 4 | (Game Two) Nova Southeastern 5, Embry-Riddle 3
Location: Silwa Stadium | Daytona Beach, Fla.
Get Social: Instagram & X – NSU_Baseball
Game One
- The Sharks tacked on a pair of runs in the opening frame. Gabriel Esquivel got the scoring started with an RBI double and NSU took advantage of an Eagles error later in the inning.
- Nova Southeastern added three more runs in the the top of the second inning. Justin Wachs drove in Nick Rodriguez with an RBI groundout before Xavier Moronta and Esquivel each added an RBI double, pushing the lead to 5-0.
- The Eagles plated a pair in the bottom half of the frame, putting the scoore at 5-2.
- NSU scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning; Jorge DeGoti drove in Esquivel with an RBI single and Rodriguez plated Roylan Quevedo with a sacrifice fly.
- Quevedo drove in Wachs with an RBI double in the fifth inning. Cue officially broke the game open with a three-run home run, putting the score at 11-2.
- The Sharks sealed the SSC series victory with a 16-4 win in game two of the series.
Gabriel Esquivel: 3-5, 2B, two RBI
Jack Cue: 1-4, three-run home run, three RBI
Nick Rodriguez: 1-4, 2B, three RBI
Anthony Karoly: (6-5), 5 IP, seven strikeouts
Game Two
- Ronny Medina got the Sharks on the board first, driving in JC Hernandez with an RBI single, in the top of the second inning.
- Cue brought in Wachs with a groundout, putting the lead at 2-0.
- ERAU took advantage of a Sharks’ miscue, cutting the lead to 2-1.
- A two-run home run by Matthew Corpas in the top of the seventh inning gave the Sharks a 4-1 advantage
- NSU took a 5-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
- The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Federico Zapata completed his second consecutive game, as the Sharks sealed the SSC series sweep with a 5-3 victory.
- In his last two outings, Zapata has totaled 18 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts and is pitching to a 1.00 ERA for the Sharks.
Federico Zapata: (8-4), 9 IP, seven strikeouts, second consecutive coomplete game
Xavier Moronta: 4-4
Matthew Corpas: 1-4, two-run HR
The Sharks are back in action on Monday, April 21, taking on the Barry Buccaneers at Feinbloom Field in Miami Shores. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Baseball, be sure to follow on Instagram & X at NSU_Baseball.
