Spartan's Baseball Season Comes to an End

The St. Thomas Aquinas baseball team dropped today's opening game 3-2 against Adelphi.  STAC played their second game against Dowling falling 4-2, and ending their season.  The Spartans finished the year with an overall record of 25-23 and an ECC record of 15-9.  After getting off to a slow start, STAC won seventeen of their last twenty-two games and earned a #3 seed in the ECC playoffs.

Game One Recap:  STAC 2  Adelphi 3

The Spartans gave up a run in the second inning but were able to come back and tie the score behind a lead off home run by Matt Smith in the top of the fourth.  The Panthers scored  runs in the sixth and seventh innings and held onto a 3-1 lead going into the ninth.  In the Spartans final at bat, Vin Malzahn hit a lead off single and moved into scoring position by a Joe Guistino bunt single to third base.  Kevin Connors reached on a fielders choice moving Malzahn to third.  Chris Zapata walked to load up the bases with two outs.  Matt Marotta drew a walk, scoring a run and bringing the Spartans within one.  Freshman Nick Barbalato connected on what should have been the game tying hit but the Spartans were robbed by a great play by Adelphi's second baseman to end the game.

Game Two Recap:  STAC 2  Dowling  4

In the second game of the day both teams did all of their scoring in the third inning as Dowling scored four runs behind five hits.  The Spartans lead off the bottom of the third with back to back singles from George Wargo and Marotta.  Barbalato hit a RBI single to first, scoring Wargo.   Smith singled for STAC's fourth hit of the inning.  Barbalato scored off a wild pitch bringing the Spartans within two, 4-2.  The Spartans left six runners on base throughout the final five innings.  The loss was the second of the double elimination tournament for the Spartans putting an end to a great season.  Dowling and Adelphi will move on to play tomorrow for the East Coast Conference Tournament Championship.