FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Nova Southeastern University, ranked No. 26 in the D2BaseballNews.com poll, scored five times in the first four innings and held off a late Southern New Hampshire University rally en route to a 5-3 win in non-conference baseball Friday night at the NSU Baseball Complex.  The Sharks upped their record to 7-0, while the game marked the season opener for the Penmen, who are ranked No. 11 in the NCBWA preseason poll.

Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) led the Penmen with three hits, including a two-run looping single in the top of the ninth. Carson Helms (Farmington, Conn.), Ryan Gendron (Nashua, N.H.) and Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) each had two hits for Southern New Hampshire, with Helms also knocking in Cruz with a first inning single that gave the guests an early 1-0 lead.  

Andres Visbal led Nova Southeastern with two of the Sharks' seven hits on the evening.  Roche Woodard delivered the big blow of the game, a two-run triple in the second, while also scoring on an error on the play. to give NSU a 4-1 lead.

After the Penmen staked themselves to an early lead, Nova Southeastern appeared poised to break open the game in the bottom of the first, with the first three batters of the game working walks.  However, starter Mike Robert (Nashua, N.H.) worked out of the jam by allowing only one run.  After a strikeout, Visbal singled to tie the game, but Mario Urdaneta was thrown out at home trying to make it 2-1.  Robert then notched another strikeout to end the threat.

Urdaneta made it 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when he scored on a triple by Alex Fernandez.

SNHU got the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth.  After Cruz's looper to right that brought in Gendron and Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.), Mastroberti singled up the middle to give the Penmen two on with two away.  Nova Southeastern brought in reliever Devin Raftery, who slammed the door by striking out Helms to end the ballgame.

Roberto Baroniel improved to 2-0 on the season, striking out nine and scattering four hits in six innings of work, while Raftery picked up his first save of the campaign.  Robert took the loss, going 2.2 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) and two hits, but walking five.  He also recorded five strikeouts.  The Penmen outhit the Sharks 8-7.

The same two teams meet Saturday at the NSU Baseball Complex at 4:00 pm.

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