FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Not your run-of-the-mill Opening Day for the Sharks on the 369th day since the COVID-19 pandemic brought an early end to the 2020 season. In a meeting rescheduled from the prior day, the 19th-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks (0-1) battled with the Florida Tech Panthers on Friday night before an NSU Baseball Complex sans crowd. Florida Tech pulled ahead in the back half of the game, but the Sharks rally came as close as one run, coming up just short in the 10-7 loss.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final Score: Florida Tech – 10, No. 19 Nova Southeastern – 7
Records: Florida Tech (3-1), No. 19 Nova Southestern (0-1)
Location: NSU Baseball Complex, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter – @NSU_Baseball | Instagram – @NSU_Baseball | Facebook – /NSUSharksAthletics
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After starter JP Williams punched out the Panthers in the opening frame with a pair of strikeouts to start a big night for the Melbourne-based senior, the hitters went to work quickly in the home half. Center fielder Nathan Chevalier fired a leadoff single up the middle and Daniel Irisarri coaxed out a walk to set the table for left fielder Adan Fernandez, who lifted a three-run bomb beyond the left center fence – his fourth home run as a Shark.
The Sharks offense quieted after the opening frame, leaving six runners aboard before their next score in the late frames.
In the meantime, Williams kept the Panthers at bay through the early going, holding FT without a hit through the opening four innings. However, he found some challenges around the zone in the fifth, issuing the first of three walks with two outs in the frame. FT’s Sam Schner capitalized, putting the Panthers on the board with an RBI single up the middle and Jake Newton later brought in Blais Maris with an RBI walk before NSU went to the bullpen for Jake Bove to close the frame with a strikeout – stranding three.
The Panthers slipped past the one-run deficit in the sixth, using additional walks to set up the Schner RBI single fired through the middle infield for the 4-3 lead. Newton closed the frame with another RBI walk and a two-run Florida Tech lead.
Brett Parrish built in some insurance for FT in the seventh with a solo home run to right field and Schner scored in the eighth on a wild pitch from Jeremy Cook.
In the home half, a double play endangered the Sharks momentum move but didn’t put it to rest completely, as second-year freshman second baseman Tyler Epstein cleanly belted his first career home run beyond left field for a trio of runs – slicing the deficit to a single run with the clutch swing.
However, the Panthers delivered a prompt response in the top of the ninth, sparked by Schner’s fourth and final RBI, while Newton also collected his fourth with a two-run triple to close out a three-run inning.
Irisarri and Chevalier singled to open another Shark surge, with NSU scoring on Alex Steinbach’s RBI fielder’s choice, but Florida Tech closed the door on the final NSU rally to end the game with a 10-7 advantage.
STATS OF THE NIGHT
- Despite the early, frequent hitting from NSU, Florida Tech came out ahead in the hitting margin 11-7.
- The Sharks left eight runners aboard, while the Panthers stranded 11.
- NSU issued nine walks on the night.
- Williams exited with a no decision on 4.2 innings pitched, notching a career-high eight strikeouts
- Epstein collected a hit in his 17th consecutive game, dating back to last season, and has tallied a base knock in 20-of-22 outings as a Shark
- Epstein matched with Irisarri in going 2-for-4 to lead NSU at the plate, while Chevalier was 2-for-5 and scored twice
- Steinbach and pitcher Jose Varela made their first appearances for NSU.
UP NEXT
The series between the Sharks and Panthers will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader in Melbourne at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
To stay up with all the latest with Sharks baseball., follow us on Twitter @NSU_Baseball, on Instagram @NSU_Baseball and on Facebook /NSUBaseball.
