FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Dylan Woods hit a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the eighth inning to give No. 1 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 40) Nova Southeastern University an 18-16 lead and the Sharks escaped with a 19-16 victory over Flagler College in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday afternoon at the NSU Baseball Complex.

Nova Southeastern, the defending national champions, won its third consecutive game and improved to 8-2 overall. Flagler dropped to 9-3.

The Saints held a 16-14 lead going into the bottom of the eighth. Louis Pugliese (0-1), Flagler's fifth pitcher of the day, walked the lead-off hitter and then committed an error by himself trying to field a ball to put runners on first and second. The Sharks loaded the bases on a four-pitch walk which spelled the end of the day for Pugliese.

Ethan Jones came on to pitch for the Saints and inherited the bases loaded with nobody out. He got Sebastian Diaz to fly out center field, but a run scored and Flagler's lead was trimmed to 16-15. The next batter was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases and that's when Woods ripped a triple to the gap in right-center which scored all three runs. Jeremy Vasquez followed by flying out to left field to which scored Woods and Nova Southeastern went up 19-16.

The Saints threatened in the ninth against Nova Southeastern reliever Cameron Churchill. Ja'Kobi got on base with a one-out single and two batters later, Josh Pagliei drew a walk. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base, but pinch hitter Brooks Carson struck out swinging to end the 3-hour, 51-minute marathon where the teams combined for 39 hits and left 19 runners on base.

Jancarlos Cintron led the Sharks' 18-hit attack going 3-for-5 with a double, home run, two runs scored and five runs batted in. Brandon Gomez collected three singles and scored a run. Jake Anchia went 2-for-6 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI.

Ronny Orta (1-0) earned the win in relief. He tossed 2 2/3 innings, scattered four hits and allowed an unearned run. Orta walked one and struck out one. Churchill picked up his second save of the season after closing out the ninth. He fanned two batters.

Pagliei paced the Saints' 21-hit attack going 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and five RBI. Dasher went 4-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI. Jake Hathaway finished the day 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI while Cole Ondrejka collected three singles, scored two runs and knocked in another.

Pugliese took the loss after tossing one-plus innings. He allowed only one hit, but walked two batters and surrendered two earned runs. Luke Cooksey started and tossed three innings. Nick Martinez, Dante Pagano and MacLain Larson followed and Jones finished the game.

The Saints did plate nine runs in the sixth inning which gave them a 16-13 lead. Flagler had four consecutive run-producing hits and Hathaway had a two-run double in his second plate appearance in the inning.

Flagler opens Peach Belt Conference play this weekend when it hosts Georgia College for a three-game series starting Friday (Feb. 24) at 7 p.m.