FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle Eagles were held hitless through the first five innings on Friday night at Nova Southeastern before finally recording a hit and ending the shutout in the sixth, but the 13th-ranked Sharks proved too much for the Eagles in the series opener, taking the game, 11-5. ERAU (28-17) was able to cut an 8-0 deficit in half with a four-run sixth, but the Sharks (29-13) would allow the Eagles to score just once more in the contest while adding on three insurance runs.
The story of the first five innings was NSU starter Alex Mateo as he held the Eagles without a hit, allowing just one baserunner and keeping the Blue and Gold from getting a ball into the outfield.
The Sharks went up 3-0 in the second, starting with the first of four home runs on the night, a two-run shot that opened the scoring.
Troy Naab was able to keep the deficit at just 3-0 until the fifth when the hosts exploded for five runs, including back-to-back solo homers and a two-run long ball that ended Naab's night.
Dominic Jeancola relieved Naab and got out of the inning without any more runs scoring, but the damage was already done as NSU led 8-0.
Dalton Hughes finally broke up Mateo's no-hit bid with a one-out single in the top of the sixth, and after he moved to second on a balk,
Tobias Moreno collected his 150th career hit at Embry-Riddle to drive Hughes in for the first Eagle run of the night.
Zach Howard followed with an RBI double to right center and
Jonathan Camp hit his team-leading ninth home run of 2016 to cut the Shark lead to 8-4.
The momentum was short-lived however, as the Sharks answered with two runs in the last of the sixth and another run in the seventh for an 11-4 advantage.
Kyle Zirbes started the ninth with a single, moving to third on an error and scoring the final tally of the contest on
Cody Bogart's sac fly to center.
Zirbes was the only Eagle with multiple hits while Camp finished with a pair of RBIs. NSU out-hit the visitors 15-6 in the game.
The two teams will conclude their series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, April 23.
