Aston, Pa. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team ran its current winning streak to seven games on Friday, with a doubleheader sweep of Holy Family University by the scores of 9-5 in eight innings and 5-1 at the Maplezone Sports Institute.

STAC improves to 8-1 on the year, while Holy Family falls to 4-9.

Game 1: 9-5 (8 innings)

In a thrilling matchup on the road, St. Thomas Aquinas (7-1) defeated Holy Family (4-8) 9-5, thanks to a balanced offensive attack and clutch hitting in the eighth inning.

Early Lead Swings

The game started with fireworks as both teams traded early runs. St. Thomas Aquinas struck first in the top of the 1st when Anthony Dimarco singled, driving in Ryan Hillery for a 1-0 lead. Holy Family responded immediately: a fielding error by shortstop Nick Oelcher allowed Logan Mote to score, and a stolen base combined with a wild pitch brought Andres Rivera home, giving Holy Family a 2-1 advantage after just one inning.

St. Thomas Aquinas Takes Control

The Spartans regained the lead in the 3rd inning. C.J. Cumbo singled to center, scoring Hillery, and Dimarco followed with an RBI groundout, putting St. Thomas Aquinas up 3-2. The offense continued in the 4th as Nick Oelcher and Cumbo each drove in runs, extending the lead to 5-2.

Holy Family made a push in the late innings. Torin McKenzie singled in a run in the 6th, and a two-run rally in the 7th, highlighted by Brayden King's hit-by-pitch RBI and Logan Mote's RBI groundout, tied the game at 5-5, setting the stage for an exciting finish in extra innings.

Eighth-Inning Surge

St. Thomas Aquinas answered in dramatic fashion in the 8th inning. Ryan Hillery reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in Kyle DeCresce for a 6-5 lead. Cumbo singled to drive in Charlie Cordisco, and Dimarco added a two-run single, scoring Ryan Hillery and Michael Zeis to put the game out of reach at 9-5.

Standout Performers

• C.J. Cumbo (LF): 3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 1 sacrifice fly, key hits in the 3rd and 8th innings.

• Anthony Dimarco (DH): 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs, including the big two-RBI single in the 8th.

• Ryan Hillery (2B): 3 runs scored, an RBI, stole 3 bases, igniting multiple rallies.

• Kyle DeCresce (3B): 2 RBIs, solid at the plate and on the bases with a double.

On the pitching side, Andrew Schoelles went 6 innings, allowing just 3 runs (1 earned) on five hits while striking out 2. Lorent Hoti closed the final 2 innings to earn the win, giving up 2 runs on two hits and striking out 2.

For Holy Family, Logan Mote (2-for-4, RBI) and Brayden King (RBI, scored 2) were key contributors, but errors and untimely pitching struggles prevented the team from maintaining the lead.

Final Line

• St. Thomas Aquinas: 9 R, 10 H, 1 E

• Holy Family: 5 R, 7 H, 6 E

Game 2: 5-1

St. Thomas Aquinas (8-1) extended its winning streak with a 5-1 victory over Holy Family (4-9), relying on timely hitting and strong pitching to keep the Tigers at bay.

Quick Start for the Spartans

The Spartans struck early in the top of the 1st inning. C.J. Cumbo singled down the left-field line, driving in Ryan Hillery for a 1-0 lead. The duo combined again in the 3rd, when Cumbo's RBI single scored Hillery, giving St. Thomas Aquinas a 2-0 edge.

Holy Family responded in the bottom of the 3rd with a run of their own. Frank Provenzano grounded out to second, allowing Jalen David to score, trimming the deficit to 2-1.

Controlling the Middle Innings

St. Thomas Aquinas maintained pressure throughout the middle innings. In the 5th, Cumbo reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman, bringing home Hillery for an unearned run and a 3-1 lead.

Late-Inning Insurance

The Spartans added two insurance runs in the 7th inning. Hillery singled to right, scoring Michael Zeis, and Cumbo followed with a double to left, driving in Hillery to make it 5-1. St. Thomas Aquinas' defense held strong, and Holy Family was unable to mount a comeback.

Standout Performers

• Ryan Hillery (2B): 4-for-4 with 4 runs scored, two doubles and an RBI, igniting St. Thomas Aquinas' offense.

• C.J. Cumbo (LF): 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs, a double, and multiple key hits in scoring position.

• Christian Varela (P): 6 innings, 1 earned run on four hits, 3 strikeouts, keeping Holy Family off balance.

For Holy Family, Frank Provenzano delivered the lone RBI and Jalen David stole two bases and scored the team's only run, but the Tigers struggled against Varela and the Spartans' defense.

Final Line

• St. Thomas Aquinas: 5 R, 9 H, 0 E

• Holy Family: 1 R, 4 H, 3 E

Up Next

STAC wraps up its four-game series with Holy Family on Saturday, March 7 at Maplezone Sports Institute with another doubleheader which gets underway at noon.