MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - St. Thomas (5-3) picks up a resounding win over DII opponent Nova Southeastern (9-1) in a night game at Paul Demie Mainieri Field. The Bobcats huge eight-run sixth inning gave the Bobcats the lead in the inning and secured the STU win over the Sharks, as they were able to pick up their fifth win with a score of 14-6 over Nova. Tyler Checkley picks up his second win in the early season and Jerry Downs leads the hitting for the Bobcats with four hits, 5 RBI, a double and a two-run homerun. 

In the early going, the Sharks were the first to strike as right fielder Mario Urdaneta put Nova ahead early in the first with a solo shot off of Bobcat starter Jose Lazaro. STU answered with some power of their own in the bottom of the third as Downs two-run double scored Michael Centeno and Oscar Rodriguez. Paul Chacin later singled to score Downs and secure a two run lead to end the third. Nova responded in the fourth and sixth innings against Lazaro and scoring three runs from his pitching and giving the lead back to the Sharks.

The Bobcat bullpen was able to backup their starter in great fashion tonight as, between five Bobcat relievers in four innings, only two runs were surrendered. The pen participation consisted of Checkely, Alex Hernandez, Brandon Valentin, Alex Vierra and Chris Rodriguez, with the only runs being surrendered during the Valentin outing. The same cannot be said for the Nova pen as five relievers gave up 10 runs in their five innings of work from five relievers. The most detrimental outing for the Sharks coming from the pitcher, Steven Fleming, who surrendered four runs and pitched to the Bobcats during their monster sixth inning. In that inning the Bobcats were able to hit around the whole lineup, as two players were each able to post back-to-back homeruns during the run. Cesar Ramirez hit a three-run homerun to start the scoring, with Rodriguez followed up with a solo shot immediately after that. Downs would continue to display the power wrapping up the homerun spree with a two-run opposite field homerun in the seventh and putting the game well out of reach for the Sharks. 

Overall, along with Downs spectacular performance, Eric Santamaria had an amazing day of his own with four hits and 2 RBI , as did Bryan Bermudez, Steven Fischer, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Chacin and Centeno, who all had multi-hit days. On the mound, Lazaro ended his outing with five innings pitched, off of seven hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts. The strongest performance from the pen coming from Alex Hernandez who took the seventh and recorded two strikeouts off of five batters faced. 

The Bobcats head up north to appear in their first away conference series against University of South Carolina Beaufort in Hardeeville, SC. The first game of that series opens up Friday at 4 p.m. at Richard Gray Sports Complex.