Pomona, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball took to the field at Clover Stadium on Friday for their final regular season doubleheader, taking on D'Youville University. In a pair of one-run games, the visiting Saints took the opener 3-2, before the hosts from Sparkill rallied for a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.
STAC moves to 25-21 overall and 14-15 in ECC play, while D'Youville goes to 18-29 and 13-16.
Game One: 3-2 D'Youville
D'Youville broke a late tie and held off St. Thomas Aquinas in a tightly contested pitcher's duel, using a clutch extra-base hit in the eighth inning to secure a 3–2 victory.
Early Breakthrough
After two scoreless innings, D'Youville struck first in the third. Garett Wilson delivered the big swing with a two-run single to right center, bringing home Jake Hollins and Derek Onevelo to give the Saints a 2–0 lead.
Spartans Answer Back
St. Thomas Aquinas responded in the fourth inning, getting all their offense in one swing. Alex Celeiro launched a two-run home run to left-center, scoring Joshua Mccormick and tying the game at 2–2.
Pitching Takes Control
From there, both teams settled into a defensive battle. Cole Lindquist was sharp for the Spartans, tossing seven strong innings while allowing just two runs. On the other side, Billy Morris matched him, limiting STAC to two runs over six innings before handing things off to the bullpen.
Eighth-Inning Difference
The deadlock was finally broken in the eighth inning. Blaise Kolbert came through with an RBI double to left center, scoring Colby Wilson and giving D'Youville a 3–2 edge.
Closing It Out
D'Youville's bullpen made the lead stand. Greg Orcutt was effective in relief, tossing three shutout innings and allowing just one hit to earn the win and shut down any late Spartans threat.
Strong Effort on the Mound
Cole Lindquist turned in another quality start for St. Thomas Aquinas, striking out six over seven innings. Angelo Bartziokas took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the eighth, while Lorent Hoti finished the game in relief.
Key Performers
D'Youville
Garett Wilson: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
Blaise Kolbert: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Colby Wilson: 1-for-2, 2 BB, R
St. Thomas Aquinas
Alex Celeiro: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
Anthony Dimarco: 2-for-4
Kyle DeCresce: 1-for-3
Game Two: 4-3 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas rallied from behind with a decisive sixth-inning surge, overcoming D'Youville in a tightly contested battle to secure a 4–3 victory and salvage the split.
Early Edge for the Spartans
The Spartans struck first in the third inning, manufacturing a run as Joshua Mccormick lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Ryan Hillery for a 1–0 lead.
D'Youville Responds
D'Youville answered in the fourth inning with power and execution. Jake Ferris tied the game with a solo home run, and later in the frame, Garett Wilson added a sacrifice fly to give the Saints a 2–1 advantage.
They extended the lead in the sixth inning when Garett Wilson came through again, this time delivering an RBI double to make it 3–1.
Sixth-Inning Turnaround
The game shifted dramatically in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Haydt started the rally with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one. Nick Oelcher followed with a run-scoring single—taking advantage of a throwing error to move into scoring position—tying the game at 3–3.
Moments later, Ryan Hillery delivered the go-ahead hit with an RBI single, capping a three-run inning and putting the Spartans ahead 4–3.
Closing It Out
St. Thomas Aquinas leaned on its bullpen to finish the job. After William Fleck earned the win in relief, James Garcia took over in the seventh and worked around traffic to secure his 10th save of the season.
Strong Effort on the Mound
Christian Varela gave the Spartans a solid start, allowing two runs over five innings. William Fleck picked up the win with a key inning in relief, and James Garcia locked things down late.
Jakob Denall took the loss for D'Youville despite striking out eight over 5.2 innings, as the Spartans capitalized on key opportunities in the sixth.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
Ryan Hillery: 2-for-4, RBI, R
Nick Oelcher: 1-for-3, RBI, R
Tyler Haydt: 1-for-3, RBI, R
C.J. Cumbo: 2-for-3, 2B
D'Youville
Garett Wilson: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI
Billy Morris: 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, R
Jake Ferris: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R
Up Next
STAC wraps up regular season play, taking on D'Youville University on Saturday, May 2 at Clover Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., with Senior Day festivities taking place prior to first pitch.