Pomona, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team closed out their six-game East Coast Conference regular season series with Mercy University on Sunday evening, hosting a doubleheader at Clover Stadium. In a high-scoring affair, the Mavericks held on for a 21-19 game one victory, before the Spartans took the nightcap 8-2 to salvage a split of contests.
STAC moves to 23-15 overall and 12-10 in ECC play, while Mercy goes to 21-19 and 12-10.
Game One: 21-19 Mercy
Mercy outlasted St. Thomas Aquinas in a wild, back-and-forth offensive battle, holding on late to secure a 21–19 victory in one of the highest-scoring games of the season.
Fast Start and Immediate Fireworks
Both teams came out swinging in the first inning. Mercy struck first on RBI hits from John Nisco and David Bernard Jr. to take a 2–0 lead, but the Spartans answered right away. Anthony Dimarco ripped an RBI double before Michael Zeis delivered a two-run single to give STAC a 3–2 edge after one.
Mercy Takes Control Early
The game swung in the second inning when Mercy erupted for five runs. Nevin Scaperotti cleared the bases with a three-run double, and the Mavericks capitalized on a wild pitch and another RBI single to jump ahead 7–3.
Mercy kept the pressure on in the fourth, plating five more runs highlighted by Kolongi Goins' three-run double, stretching the lead to 12–4. They added four more in the fifth, including a two-run home run from Kyle Engmann, pushing the advantage to 16–4.
Spartans Fight Back
St. Thomas Aquinas refused to go quietly. After chipping away in the fifth, the Spartans exploded for six runs in the sixth inning. Big hits from Michael Zeis, Kyle DeCresce, and Nick Oelcher—who delivered a two-run triple—cut the deficit to 16–12 and brought the game back within reach.
Mercy Adds Insurance
Mercy responded again in the seventh with four runs, highlighted by a two-run double from John Nisco and another RBI hit from Zach Ashline, extending the lead to 20–12. They tacked on one more in the eighth to make it 21–12.
Eighth-Inning Rally Falls Short
The Spartans made one final push in the eighth inning, erupting for seven runs. RBI hits came in bunches from Nick Oelcher, Tyler Haydt, Alex Celeiro, Ryan Hillery, Anthony Dimarco, and Michael Zeis, trimming the deficit to 21–19.
Despite the furious rally, Mercy's bullpen held firm in the ninth to secure the win.
On the Mound
Geneo Savoca earned the win for Mercy despite a high-scoring outing, while Samuel Gil shut the door in the ninth for the save. Andrew Schoelles took the loss for STAC as Mercy's early offensive surge proved too much to overcome.
Key Performers
Mercy
- John Nisco: 4-for-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 5 R
- Sean McAdams: 4-for-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R
- Nevin Scaperotti: 2-for-6, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
- Kolongi Goins: 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI, R
- Alfred Hoti: 3-for-6, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Kyle Engmann: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Michael Zeis: 4-for-5, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R
- Nick Oelcher: 4-for-5, 2-2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R
- Anthony Dimarco: 3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R
- Kyle DeCresce: 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Ryan Hillery: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 R
Game Two: 8-2 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas responded in a big way, using an early offensive surge and dominant pitching to defeat Mercy, 8–2, and split the day's action.
Spartans Strike Early
The Spartans wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard in the first inning. Anthony Dimarco drove in the game's first run with a double, and St. Thomas Aquinas capitalized on a Mercy error to add another. Kyle DeCresce followed with an RBI double, giving STAC a quick 3–0 lead.
Mercy Chips Away
Mercy answered with single runs in the second and third innings. Connor Ruland delivered an RBI single in the second, and John Nisco added another in the third to cut the deficit to 3–2.
Decisive Third Inning
St. Thomas Aquinas broke the game open in the bottom of the third with a five-run outburst. RBI singles from Kyle DeCresce and Joshua Mccormick set the stage before Tyler Haydt crushed a three-run home run to extend the lead to 8–2.
On the Mound
Sean Duke set the tone early and kept Mercy's offense in check, while Angelo Bartziokas finished off the combined four-hit effort. Gordon Votruba took the loss for Mercy after surrendering eight runs (six earned) over three innings.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Tyler Haydt: 1-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, R
- Kyle DeCresce: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
- Anthony Dimarco: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R
- Joshua Mccormick: 1-for-3, RBI, R
Mercy
- Dylan Koch: 2-for-3, R
- John Nisco: 1-for-3, RBI
- Connor Ruland: 1-for-3, RBI
Up Next
STAC welcomes East Stroudsburg University to Clover Stadium for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, April 21. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.