FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The 19th-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks extended their conference winning streak to 17 games, taking both ends of a doubleheader from Eckerd on Saturday.
The series loss was Eckerd's first since being swept by then-No. 3 Florida Southern on March 16-17.
HOW IT ENDED
Game 1
Final: NSU 9, Eckerd 2
WP: Acker (4-0) Â
LP: Alonzo (5-5)
 HR: Gallo (5), Liberty (7)
Game 2
Final: NSU 8, Eckerd 7
WP: Krzyzanowski (4-0) Â
LP: Allen (4-4) Â
Sv: Strzelecki (6)Â
HR: Duran (3), Mira (1)
Records: Eckerd 20-21 (10-14 SSC), NSU 29-10 (21-3 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
Game 1
- The Sharks wasted little time in getting on the board, scoring three times in the first inning including a successful squeeze with one out.
- NSU then blew the game open with a five-run fourth that featured back-to-back home runs by Nick Gallo and Andrew Liberty. Â It was enough to chase EC starter Nick Alonzo, who was replaced by Cam Lanzilli.
- Lanzilli allowed only one run over 4-1/3 innings of relief, but the Nova Southeastern trio of Brady Acker, Gil Torres, and Kyle Kilbourne limited the Triton to only two runs. Â A sacrifice fly by Shane LeMaster drove in Garrett Hiott for Eckerd's first run in the sixth, and Jake Romine scored in the seventh on an error following a Nick Conti single.
Game 2
- It was Eckerd's turn to jump on top early with a four-run first inning. Â Chase Achuff's infield single drove in Conti with the bases loaded, and LeMaster then cleared the bases with a three-run double.
- Both teams scored a run via a wild pitch with Nova Southeastern's run coming in the bottom of the first and Eckerd's in the top of the third.
- Gallo's two-run single in the third for NSU cut the Tritons' lead to 5-3.
- The Sharks exploded in the fifth for five runs, all of which came with two outs on four straight hits capped by a two-run homerun by Samuel Duran.
- Eckerd pulled within a run in the eighth at 8-7 thanks to a two-out, two-run blast by Tim Mira.
- Jack Iervolino stranded two runners in the bottom of the eighth, giving Eckerd a chance to extend the game in the ninth. Â Hiott drew a two-out walk to put the tying run on base, but Shark closer Joe Strzelecki recorded the final out for his second save of the weekend.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Achuff recorded hits in both ends of the doubleheader, extending his hitting streak to 21 games. Â That ties Dan Capra for the longest hitting streak since 2011 and puts him one away from tying Minervino Labrador's mark of 22 straight set in 2010.
- The Eckerd bullpen was highly effective in both games as Lanzilli, Jarid Salisbury, and Iervolino combined to allow only one run over 7-2/3 innings pitched.
- The losses dropped Eckerd into a tie with Palm Beach Atlantic for fifth place in the conference standings.
UP NEXT
The Tritons host Webber International (Fla.) on Wednesday for a 6:00 PM game at the Turley Athletic Complex. Â