FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Just one day after opening the season at home, the 19th-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks hit the road for a doubleheader at Florida Tech (5-1) to finish off the series opened on Friday night. The Panthers slipped past the Sharks in a pair of one-run conference outings as the Sharks found trouble maintaining offensive consistency
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
G1 Final Score: Florida Tech – 4, No. 19 Nova Southeastern – 3
G2 Final Score: Florida Tech – 2, No. 19 Nova Southeastern – 1
Records: Florida Tech (5-1), No. 19 Nova Southestern (0-3)
Location: Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field, Melbourne, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
The second game of the year began the same as the first for left fielder Adan Fernandez, who rocked a second first-inning, multi-run home run in as many games to give the Sharks a 2-0 advantage in game 1 of the doubleheader. However, the Panthers were putting pressure on second-year freshman pitcher Cooper Omans early and often, escaping first and second-inning jams to let the early lead stand and strand five panthers. The third time around wasn’t as fortunate for the second-year lefty, as an error and a double set up Blaise Maris for a two-run single to right field in the third.
The Panthers edged ahead in the fourth with Stephen Schissler taking over pitching duties as a one-out Jakob Newton walk came back to bite the Sharks when he later scored on a wild pitch. Schissler combined with Ricky Shimko to keep the Panthers quieted until the seventh, when a series of miscues set up Diego Garcia to score on a wild pitch as well, producing the largest lead at 4-2.
In the eighth, Bryan Diaz responded with a sacrifice fly off Blake Beyel, sending Alex Hernandez home to trim the deficit to 4-3. Although the Sharks were able to get a pair of runners aboard for an opportunity in the ninth, Beyel collected a final strikeout to send the game final and give Florida Tech the game and series win.
In the second game of the day, for the first time in the series, it was the Panthers who struck first. A one-out Newton single off Brady Acker set up Paul Castillo for a sacrifice fly and the early one-run advantage after one complete frame. Florida Tech was able to extend their lead in the second, as Dylan Owens notched the third wild pitch score of the doubleheader. However, Acker settled in before handing off to Matt Kavanaugh, the pair silencing the Panthers for the remainder of the seven-inning affair.
After being held without a hit through the first three innings, the Sharks saw the first base knock for Ray Sanchez on the year, moving hit batsman Fernandez into position to score on Alex Steinbach’s RBI fielder’s choice and close the gap. The Sharks’ final pushes in the last two innings came up short as the game and series closed with Brandon Chinea caught stealing with two outs in the seventh.
STATS OF THE DAY
- Across the doubleheader, the Sharks were limited to nine hits (6, 3)
- Three Panthers scored on wild pitches across the two games and NSU had nine wild pitches in total.
- Starters Omans and Acker went 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO and 3.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, respectively.
- Kavanaugh went his second-longest outing at 2.1 innings, striking out three with one walk and no hits allowed.
- Sanchez went 2-for-3 to lead the Sharks in game two.
- Tyler Epstein’s 17-game hitting streak was interrupted in the first game, but resumed in the second.
- Nathan Chevalier led all Sharks in the first outing at 2-for-4, but was shut out in the second.
- Alejandro Macario made his debut as a pinch runner and Carlos Rey debuted as the game two closer, going one inning with a hit and two strikeouts.
UP NEXT
The Sharks return to action on Wednesday with a non-conference matchup in Boca Raton at Lynn, before starting the “weekend” series in Lakeland at Florida Southern on Thursday.
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