Morehead City, NC – The Marlins dropped a close game to the Sharks 6-5 on Monday night in a contest that was rescheduled from Friday night. Jack Eshleman (Hamilton College) got the start for the Marlins. Jack Nedrow got the start for the Sharks. The bats awoke with a bang in the bottom of the first when Trent Youngblood (Transylvania) doubled ahead of Zach Marriott (Hendrix College), who launched a ball into orbit in right center field that landed 400 feet away. With a 2-0 lead, the Marlins bats weren’t done yet. Dan Tauken (Albany) pulled a ball over the right field fence for the second home run of the inning against Nedrow to propel the Marlins to a 3-0 lead after the first inning.

The Sharks bats came right back in the second inning, as Carson Villalta walked before Kyle Smith belted a ball into the Morehead City night to bring the game within a run at 3-2. Cam Hassert tripled in the very next at-bat following the home run. Tanner Leonard singled in Hassert to tie the game at 3-3 before the Marlins bats would go to work in the bottom half of the inning.

Back-to-back singles in the bottom of the second with one out would set up Joseph Mershon (College of Charleston), who ripped a double into the pasture to score Mike Kenney (Mount Olive) to retake the lead 4-3. Wes Earles came in relief of Nedrow with two runners on and uncorked a wild pitch that eluded Kyle Smith to score Bernstein. This would push the score to 5-3 in favor of the Marlins.

The Sharks would find the answer against Eshleman in the fourth, as a Wilmington walk and single put two runners on for Tanner Leonard, who blasted a ball over the left field wall to take a 6-5 lead.

Joe Sperone came on in relief for the Sharks in the fourth, and provided some excellent relief work out of the pen, covering four innings, giving up two hits, walking a batter and striking out four. Sperone would later be rewarded for his efforts with a win.

The Marlins tried to rally in the sixth, getting two runners on with only one out, but Sperone dazzled his way out of the jam and went on to pitch two 1-2-3 frames in the seventh and eighth. Sperone gave way to Caiden Wood, who earned the save for the Sharks after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to secure the 6-5 win.

The Marlins return to action in a seven-inning exhibition on Tuesday night against the Carolina Ducks from Big Rock Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7PM. The game will be available to stream on FloSports.