Pomona, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team was a force to be reckoned with on Saturday afternoon, dominating both ends of a doubleheader against D'Youville University at Clover Stadium by the scores of 14-5 and 26-9.
STAC wins its fourth straight and climbs to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in ECC play, while DYU falls to 6-12 and 1-3.
Game One - 14-5 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas used a late offensive surge and three home runs to pull away from D'Youville for a 14–5 victory.
Spartans Strike First
St. Thomas Aquinas opened the scoring in the second inning when Joshua Mccormick launched a solo home run to right field to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Nick Oelcher singled to center field, allowing Kyle DeCresce to score and extend the advantage to 2-0.
Saints Take the Lead
D'Youville responded in the third inning with a three-run rally. Blaise Kolbert delivered a two-run single to right field, scoring Jake Hollins and Kevin Del Vecchio to tie the game. Hollins later scored during a rundown following Kolbert being caught stealing, giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.
The Saints added to their advantage in the fifth inning when Billy Morris singled to center field to bring home Hollins and Del Vecchio, pushing the lead to 5-2.
Spartans Rally Back
St. Thomas Aquinas answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. An error on a fly ball allowed C.J. Cumbo and Ryan Hillery to score while Anthony Dimarco reached safely, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Dimarco later stole third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher to tie the game at 5-5.
The Spartans took the lead in the sixth inning. Michael Zeis lined an RBI single through the left side to score Mccormick before Oelcher followed with another RBI single to bring home DeCresce, making it 7-5.
Power Surge Seals It
The Spartans extended the lead in the seventh inning with back-to-back home runs. Cumbo blasted a solo shot to right-center field before Dimarco followed with a solo homer to right, giving St. Thomas Aquinas a 9-5 advantage.
St. Thomas Aquinas broke the game open in the eighth inning with a five-run outburst. Dimarco drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run before Tyler Haydt ripped a three-run double to left field. Mccormick then doubled down the right-field line to score Haydt and cap the scoring at 14-5.
Pitching Holds Late
Starter Sean Duke worked three innings, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out four. Jeremiah Vega earned the win after pitching three innings and allowing two runs with two strikeouts. Joseph Deceglie tossed a scoreless seventh inning, and James Garcia closed the game with two shutout frames to secure the victory.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
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Joshua Mccormick: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2B
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Anthony Dimarco: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
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Tyler Haydt: 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI
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Nick Oelcher: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, R
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C.J. Cumbo: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 3 R
D'Youville
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Billy Morris: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
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Blaise Kolbert: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
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Jake Hollins: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B
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Kevin Del vecchio: 1-for-3, 2 R
Game Two - 26-9 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas exploded for 26 runs on 22 hits, including a 17-run fifth inning, to defeat D'Youville 26–9 and complete the doubleheader sweep.
Spartans Build Early Lead
St. Thomas Aquinas jumped in front in the opening inning. Anthony Dimarco drove in the first run with an RBI single before Joshua Mccormick followed with another RBI single through the right side to make it 2-0.
The Spartans added to the lead in the second when Nick Oelcher launched a solo home run to right field. In the third inning, Kyle DeCresce doubled to right field to bring home Cumbo and Dimarco, extending the advantage to 5-0.
Saints Rally in the Fourth
D'Youville answered with a big inning of its own in the fourth. Blaise Kolbert and Jacob Cooper delivered RBI singles, and Derek Onevelo drew a bases-loaded walk to cut into the deficit. The inning's biggest swing came when Cooper Cefaratti blasted a grand slam to right field, giving the Saints a 7-5 lead.
The Saints added another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Matt McGeorge to push the advantage to 8-5.
Historic Fifth Inning
St. Thomas Aquinas responded with a massive rally in the bottom of the fifth inning, plating 17 runs to reclaim control of the game.
The rally began when DeCresce singled to score Tyler Haydt. Moments later, Michael Zeis delivered an RBI single that was misplayed in the outfield, allowing three runs to score and giving the Spartans the lead.
The inning continued with RBI hits from Oelcher and C.J. Cumbo, followed by a two-run double from Haydt. McCormick added a two-run single as the Spartans kept the line moving.
Later in the inning, Zeis added another RBI single, Hillery drove in a run on a groundout, and Haydt delivered another RBI double before DeCresce capped the rally with an RBI single. By the time the inning ended, St. Thomas Aquinas had surged ahead 22-8.
Spartans Add Insurance
D'Youville picked up a run in the sixth on a solo home run from Jake Hollins, but the Spartans quickly answered.
Christopher Merrill forced in a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Haydt delivered a two-run single to left field to cap the scoring at 26-9.
Pitching Holds On
Cole Lindquist started for the Spartans and tossed three scoreless innings while striking out three. After D'Youville's rally in the fourth, Frailin Jimenez settled things down and earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief. Raul Polanco closed the game with a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
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Tyler Haydt: 4-for-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R
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Kyle DeCresce: 4-for-6, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
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Joshua Mccormick: 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 R
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Nick Oelcher: 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
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C.J. Cumbo: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 4 R
D'Youville
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Cooper Cefaratti: 2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, R
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Blaise Kolbert: 3-for-4, RBI, R
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Billy Morris: 2-for-4, R
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Jake Hollins: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R
Up Next
STAC hits the road, visiting Pace University on Wednesday, March 18. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Peter X. Finnerty Field in Pleasantville, New York.