Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team took the short trip across the Hudson River to Westchester County on Friday for an East Coast Conference doubleheader with Mercy University. In a run-filled affair throughout, the Spartans posted an 8-7 win in the opener before dropping a 9-8 decision in ten innings to the Mavericks in the nightcap.
STAC moves to 22-14 overall and 11-9 in ECC play, while Queens goes to 20-18 and 11-9.
Game One: 8-7 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas survived a late scare and held off Mercy in a back-and-forth battle, using timely power and a clutch insurance run to secure an 8–7 victory.
Early Power Sets the Tone
The Spartans struck immediately in the first inning when Anthony Dimarco launched a solo home run to give STAC a 1–0 lead. Mercy answered right back in the bottom half, capitalizing on a fielder's choice to even the score at 1–1.
St. Thomas Aquinas regained control in the third inning behind a big swing from C.J. Cumbo, who crushed a two-run homer to put the Spartans ahead 3–1.
Mercy Chips Away
Mercy trimmed the deficit in the fourth inning as Dylan Koch delivered an RBI single, making it 3–2. From there, both teams settled into a quieter stretch as pitching kept the game tight through the middle innings.
Eighth-Inning Surge
The Spartans created separation in the eighth inning with a four-run rally. Michael Zeis started the scoring with an RBI single before Nick Oelcher broke things open with a two-run triple. Ryan Hillery added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 7–2.
Mercy's Furious Comeback
Mercy refused to go away, erupting for four runs in the bottom of the eighth. David Bernard Jr. drove in a run, Kyle Engmann added a sacrifice fly, and Dylan Koch delivered a two-run single—helped by an outfield error—to cut the deficit to 7–6.
Insurance Proves Crucial
In the ninth inning, Michael Zeis came through again with an RBI single to give the Spartans a key insurance run and an 8–6 lead.
Mercy made one last push in the bottom half, as David Bernard Jr. drove in another run to make it 8–7, but James Garcia closed the door to secure the save.
Strong Effort on the Mound
Cole Lindquist gave the Spartans a solid start, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits over four innings. William Fleck earned the win in relief, while James Garcia locked down the final outs for his eighth save of the season.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
Ryan Hillery: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
C.J. Cumbo: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
Anthony Dimarco: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R
Kyle DeCresce: 4-for-5, R
Michael Zeis: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R
Nick Oelcher: 1-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Mercy
Dylan Koch: 4-for-5, 3 RBI
David Bernard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, R
Zach Ashline: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R
John Nisco: 2-for-5, 2B
Game Two: 9-8 Mercy (10 Innings)
St. Thomas Aquinas battled back from multiple deficits and evened the game late, but Mercy walked it off in extra innings to secure a 9–8 victory in a dramatic nightcap.
Fast Start, Quick Response
The Spartans jumped out early in the first inning when C.J. Cumbo launched a two-run home run to give STAC a 2–0 lead.
Mercy answered immediately in the second inning, stringing together three runs. David Bernard Jr. got things started with a solo homer, Kyle Engmann followed with an RBI triple, and Kolongi Goins added a sacrifice fly to put Mercy ahead 3–2.
Anthony Dimarco responded for the Spartans in the third inning with a solo home run, tying the game at 3–3.
Mercy Takes Control
Mercy regained momentum in the fourth inning with a three-run frame, highlighted by RBI contributions from Geneo Savoca, Nevin Scaperotti, and David Bernard Jr., pushing the lead to 6–3.
They added another run in the sixth inning on a wild pitch, extending the advantage to 7–3.
Spartans Storm Back
St. Thomas Aquinas mounted a huge rally in the seventh inning to flip the game. Ryan Hillery drove in a run with a single before C.J. Cumbo delivered a clutch two-run triple to make it a 7-6 game. Moments later, Anthony Dimarco came through again with an RBI single to give the Spartans a 7–7 tie.
However, Mercy answered in the bottom half, capitalizing on a throwing error to regain the lead at 8–7.
Late Drama Forces Extras
The Spartans refused to go quietly, tying the game again in the ninth inning as Anthony Dimarco delivered his third RBI hit of the game to make it 8–8.
Walk-Off Finish
In the tenth inning, Mercy completed the comeback. Sean McAdams lined a walk-off RBI single to bring home the winning run and seal the 9–8 victory.
Back-and-Forth on the Mound
Christian Varela took the start for STAC and allowed six runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings. The Spartans bullpen kept the game within reach, but Christian Simonsen was tagged with the tough-luck loss despite allowing just one unearned run over three innings.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
C.J. Cumbo: 2-for-4, HR, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R
Anthony Dimarco: 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, R
Ryan Hillery: 2-for-6, 2B, RBI, 3 R
Alex Celeiro: 2-for-5, R
Mercy
David Bernard Jr.: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
Nevin Scaperotti: 3-for-6, RBI, R
John Nisco: 3-for-6, 2 R
Sean McAdams: 1-for-4, RBI, R (walk-off)
Kolongi Goins: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Up Next
After a day off, the Spartans will host Mercy in a Sunday (April 19) doubleheader at Clover Stadium. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.