Sparkill, N.Y. - Freshman Maristella Coira drove in the winning run with an eighth-inning single to vault St. Thomas Aquinas College to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Assumption University in Saturday's opener of a doubleheader at Spartan Field. STAC also doubled up the visiting Greyhounds, 6-3 in game two to earn a sweep of non-conference contests.

STAC rises to 8-10 on the season and has now won seven straight games, while Assumption drops to 1-13.

Game one featured back and forth action between the sides in the middle and later innings, with Assumption scoring the first two runs in the fifth and sixth innings and STAC rallying to tie things in the sixth and seventh innings via an RBI sac-fly by Olivia Leon and an RBI groundout by Elyse Marcano respectively to force extra innings. In the eighth, the visiting Greyhounds struck first to go up 3-2. However, the resilient Spartans would string together hits from Giana Longo and Olivia Leon along with a walk to Trinadey Santiago to load the bases. Jessica Ferrick then worked a walk of her own to bring in Longo, re-tying the game, 3-3. Following a pitching change, Maristella Coira would be the hero of the contest, singling up the middle with two out to score Leon for the walk-off victory.

M. Coira (2-4, RBI & Walk), Leon (2-3, RBI & Run) and J. Ferrick (2-3, Run & Walk) recorded multi-hit games for the maroon and gold. Starting pitcher Sarah Clancy (W, 4-5) went the distance for STAC, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits while walking two and fanning two.

In the second game of Saturday's twin bill, St. Thomas Aquinas posted a four-run second inning, courtesy of a two-RBI single by Maristella Coira, an RBI double by Eliana Raposo and an RBI sacrifice fly by Sofia Marella. Unfortunately, Assumption would narrow their deficit to 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning, before Raposo would extend the Spartans' lead to 6-3 on the strength of a two-run homer to center field.

Elyse Marcano (3-4 & Run), Raposo (3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI & Run) and M. Coira (2-4, 2 RBI, Run) starred with their bats in the game two, while Madison Puppolo (W, 4-3) pitched a complete game victory, giving up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

STAC returns to the friendly confines of Spartan Field on Thursday, March 20 for a non-conference doubleheader with the University of New Haven. First pitch of game one is set for 2:30 p.m.