NSU Sharks News
NSU Baseball Sweeps St. Thomas; Wins 7th Straight
Second Game Starter Ricardo Martinez Throws A Complete Game Four Hitter
MIAMI, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2009) Led by second game starting pitcher Ricardo Martinez (Jr., Miami, Fla.), the Nova Southeastern University baseball team swept St. Thomas University 16-15 and 12-1 in action on Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Sharks to 7-1 on the season while St. Thomas falls to 1-9.Martinez (W, 1-0) threw a complete game, allowing only four hits and one run. His effort marked the second consecutive day that the Sharks had a member of their pitching staff throw a complete game.
After both sides went one-two-three in the first inning of the second game, Sharks third baseman Rhys Robert (Jr., Parkland, Fla.) put NSU on the board with a two-run homer over the left field fence.
The Sharks added a single run in the third inning when right fielder David Robinson (So., Bunnell, Fla.) scored on shortstop Dexter Butler's (Sr., Key West, Fla.) RBI ground out.
Home runs by first baseman Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg (Jr., Pretoria, Fla.) and catcher Ryan York (Fr., Alva, Fla.) provided NSU with three runs in the fourth inning.
NSU added two more runs on no hits and a Bobcat error in the fifth.
A three-run line drive home run by left fielder J.D. Martinez (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) highlighted a four run inning for NSU in the sixth.
A Greg Gomez single ended Martinez's complete game shutout bid with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Martinez led NSU at the plate, going 2-3 with a walk, four runs scored and three runs batted in.
In a wild first game, NSU scored five first inning runs on four hits to take the early lead. St. Thomas responded, scoring three runs in the first and second innings to take a 6-5 lead and knock Sharks starter Chris Hamper (Fr., Melbourne, Fla.) out of the game.
The Bobcats added to their lead in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs off NSU reliever Zach North (So., Miami, Fla.) on three hits and an error.
Another unearned run in the fifth inning put St. Thomas ahead, 9-5.
The Sharks would answer in the top of the sixth inning, scoring on a bases loaded walk by centerfielder Brayan Valencia (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and a Martinez infield single.
After each team would score single runs in their next half inning, St. Thomas plated four runs on two hits and a NSU error to lead 14-8 heading into the eighth inning.
Never doubting themselves, Nova Southeastern went to work at the plate. The Sharks chipped away at the Bobcats lead, crossing the plate four times on five hits to get within two runs heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.
Saint Thomas looked like it scored a big insurance run in the bottom half of the eighth, but the Sharks refused to lose, scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning to lead 16-15. With two outs, NSU scored the tying run on a throwing error by the Bobcats third baseman then took the lead when reliever Daylan Gill balked in Rhys Roberts for the go-ahead run.
The Sharks called on closer Sean Albury (So., Nassau, Bahamas) to close the game. Albury would retire three batters in order after allowing an inning opening hit to earn his second save of the season.
Reliever Isaac Hicks (So., Ft. Myers, Fla.) was credited with the win, pitching the final two-thirds of the eighth inning.
Roberts led the Sharks at the plate, going 4-6 with two runs scored, a home run and a RBI. Valencia and Martinez had three hits apiece. Shortstop Dale Alberto (Sr., Davie, Fla.) also had multiple hits.
The Sharks will travel to Melbourne, Fla. to play a key South Region game vs. Florida Tech at 2 pm on Tue. Feb. 17th.
