LAKELAND, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Baseball team opened their Sunshine State Conference series against the Florida Southern Moccasins with an 18-10 victory on Friday evening. Zeth Rodriguez and Jorge Braceras paced the Sharks in the effort, as both recorded four runs batted in.
Records: Nova Southeastern 20-15, 10-9 SSC | 14-23, 8-11 SSC
Score: Nova Southeastern 18 | Florida Southern 10
Location: Henley Field | Lakeland, Fla.
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- Nova Southeastern loaded the bases in the top half of the second inning and opened the scoring with a four-run frame . MC Sagaro worked a walk, bringing in Boris Pena; Ariel Garcia followed with an RBI on a fielder’s choice, which scored Kristian Noriega and the Sharks capped off the inning with a two-run double by Justin Wachs, which plated Garcia and Landon Lowe.
- Two consecutive sacrifice flies from Jorge Braceras and Landon Lowe gave NSU a 6-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
- Florida Southern plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, putting the score at 6-2.
- In the top of the fourth inning, Zeth Rodriguez drove in Garcia with a sacrifice fly, extending the Sharks’ lead to 7-2.
- NSU broke the game open with a six-run top of the fifth inning.
- Lowe scored on a wild pitch, before Rodriguez added a two-run double – plating both Tyson Cooper and Sagaro. Following a walk by Pena, Wachs scored after Noriega was hit by a pitch and the Sharks capped off the frame with another two runs after a pair of FSC miscues.
- Nova Southeastern took a 14-2 lead over Florida Southern after Rodriguez worked a walk with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.
- Collin Rothermel finished off a quality start on the mound by striking out three in the bottom of the sixth inning, before turning the ball over to the bullpen.
- Florida Southern scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as each of the first five hitters for the Mocs reached base in the inning, and NSU needed to use three pitchers in the frame.
- The Sharks responded with another four-run inning, their third multi-run frame in the contest, as the Jorge Braceras came through with a bases-loaded double, driving in Frank Villella, Rodriguez and Ryan Cainzos, putting the score at 18-7.
- Oscar Hernandez closed out the 18-10 win, recording the final three outs.
Collin Rothermel: (6-2), 6 IP, six strikeouts, quality start
Justin Wachs: 2-4, two RBI
Zeth Rodriguez: 1-3, two runs, four RBI
Jorge Braceras: 1-5, four RBI
Nova Southeastern takes on Florida Southern in the second game of the three game Sunshine State Conference series on Saturday, April 20th. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks BAseball, be sure to follow on Instagram & X at NSU_Baseball
