DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Thursday's Sunshine State Conference series opener between Embry-Riddle and Nova Southeastern featured a little bit of everything, but primarily a lack of defense by the Sharks allowed the Eagles to emerge with a 12-5 win at Sliwa Stadium. The Eagles (17-15, 6-10 SSC) saw their late lead go away in the top of the eighth inning, but a massive seven-run home-half of the frame pushed the hosts to just their second win since becoming a NCAA II squad over the Sharks (14-17, 4-9 SSC).

NSU committed seven errors on the night, wasting a solid start from Carlos Rey in the process as the Eagles' first five runs were all unearned. However, the Sharks were able to tie the game late, stringing together a two-out rally in the eighth inning after ERAU had led for the vast majority of the night. But then the Eagles put together seven hits, and in combination with two more Shark errors, took firm command of the game and put it out of reach.

NSU jumped out to an early lead when Adam Frank hit a towering two-run homer in the first off of Eagle starter Dillon Moran, but ERAU quickly answered thanks to two NSU errors in the bottom of the inning. Alex Britton reached on an error with one out, moving to third when AJ Marinello also reached on an error in the next at-bat. Garrett Bogart picked up an RBI with a single through the right side, and Josh Reynolds brought in the tying run with a sac fly to right.

The Sharks regained the lead briefly in the second when the home team committed its own defensive miscue, but once again, a Shark error in the bottom of the inning resulted in two Eagles to cross home for a 4-3 lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Marinello grounded a ball to third and the NSU third baseman threw the ball wide of first, bringing home Timo Aracena and Kevin Vittoria for the Blue and Gold.

Moran pitched a scoreless third and ERAU added a run in the bottom of the frame when Zach Coldsnow touched home on the fifth Nova Southeastern error of the game.

The visitors got a run back in the fifth when Frank doubled down the left field line for his third RBI, plating Ryan Cainzos from second and making it a one-run ballgame, but that's where Moran kept them, and Spencer Marinac followed suit in the sixth, getting an assist from Jeremy Kennedy-Davis with a runner thrown out trying to steal a base, moving the game along to the seventh.

Casey Keller cruised through the seventh and nearly got out of the eighth, getting two outs, but a two-out double from Kristian Noriega scored the tying run from second base, making it 5-5.

The big rally in the Eagle eighth started with a 2-2 hit by pitch from Coldsnow, followed by a single from Kennedy-Davis. Aracena perfectly placed a bunt down the third base line, and collected an infield hit in the process, but the throw to first was well wide, bringing in the go-ahead run and moving Kennedy-Davis to third. Vittoria followed with an infield single to score Kennedy-Davis from third and Camden Traficante then reached on the seventh and final Shark error of the night when he was trying to lay down a sac bunt.

Marinello, Bogart, and Dylan Brazil all collected RBI hits later in the inning, and by the time it was all over the Eagles led 12-5.

Gunnar Harrison got a double play ball and a strike out in the ninth for the final three outs of the game, securing the seven-run win.

Keller (2-1) got the win for the Eagles, while Bogart finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Marinello and Kennedy-Davis also finished with two hits each for ERAU.

The Eagles and Sharks finish the SSC series tomorrow with a twin bill beginning at 1 p.m.