FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Baseball team salvaged a doubleheader split, but lost the series to the Lander Bearcats, on Saturday afternoon from the NSU Baseball Complex. The Sharks took game one of the doubleheader, winning 4-1, and dropped the series finale in a back-and-forth slug-fest 9-7.
Scores: (Game One) Nova Southeastern 4, Lander 1 | (Game Two) Nova Southeastern 7, Lander 9
Records: Nova Southeastern 5-5 | Lander 8-3
Location: NSU Baseball Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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Game One
- Both teams traded scoreless innings in the opening two frames, but the Sharks broke through on the scoreboard early with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bryan Loriga.
- In the bottom of the fourth inning, NSU tacked on three more runs, extending the lead to 4-0. Ryan Cainzos drove in Justin Wachs with an RBI single, before Loriga drove in a pair on a two-run double.
- Collin Rothermel held the Bearcats off the scoreboard for the entirety of his outing, striking out eight, and scattered a pair of hits and three walks.
- Jarrett Bond pitched the remainder of the game for the Sharks, allowing just one hit and striking out five, earning his first career save.
Game Two
- Nova Southeastern got on the board first, as Justin Wachs grounded into a double play, but drove in Zeth Rodriguez and put the Sharks ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
- Later in the frame, Boris Pena lined a double off the right-center field fence, driving in Loriga, and extending the NSU advantage to 2-0 in the opening inning.
- Lander hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the third inning, taking a 4-2 lead over the Sharks.
- Nova Southeastern responded with three home runs, including two consecutive, as Henry Wallen, Pena and Tyson Cooper all went deep to reclaim the lead for the Sharks at 6-4.
- Lander tied the game with a pair of runs in the fourth inning.
- Loriga added a home run of his own, putting the Sharks in front 7-6.
- Keyler Gonzalez was called upon out of the bullpen facing a bases loaded, no out jam in the top of the eighth inning. The freshman escaped the damage by forcing an infield pop-up and getting a double play ball to end the threat.
- Lander tacked on another pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning, and sealed the series win, with a 9-7 victory in the finale.
Nova Southeastern opens Sunshine State Conference action with a three-game series against Florida Tech in Melbourne, Fla., beginning on Friday, February 23rd. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Baseball, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_Baseball.
