Pomona, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team returned to the friendly confines of Clover Stadium on Saturday for an East Coast Conference doubleheader with Queens College. In a run-filled affair throughout, the Spartans posted a 15-3 win in the opener before dropping a 13-2 decision to the Knights in the nightcap.
STAC moves to 20-12 overall and 9-8 in ECC play, while Queens goes to 9-19 and 4-12.
Game One: 15-3 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas erupted for a huge offensive performance, using a late-game explosion and steady pitching to roll past Queens, 15–3.
Fast Start for the Spartans
The Spartans wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. Joshua Mccormick drove in a run with a double, and St. Thomas Aquinas capitalized on defensive errors to plate two more runs and take a 3–0 lead.
They added to the advantage in the second inning, scoring twice more. C.J. Cumbo delivered an RBI single, and another defensive miscue allowed an additional run to score, extending the lead to 5–0.
Queens Responds Briefly
Queens answered in the third inning with a pair of runs. Vincent Mallon drove in one with a double, and Jordan Babbo followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5–2.
Spartans Stay in Control
St. Thomas Aquinas quickly responded in the bottom of the third, as Kyle DeCresce knocked in a run with a single to make it 6–2. The Spartans added another run in the fifth inning to push the lead to 7–2.
Eighth-Inning Explosion
The game broke wide open in the eighth inning when the Spartans erupted for eight runs. Alex Celeiro and Michael Zeis each drove in runs before Joshua Mccormick and Nick Oelcher added RBI hits.
The inning was capped by a three-run home run from A.J. Cumbo, putting the game out of reach at 15–2.
Strong Outing on the Mound
Andrew Schoelles earned the win with a solid performance, tossing eight innings while allowing two runs on nine hits and striking out four. Dylan Wilkinson closed out the game in the ninth.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Joshua Mccormick: 3-for-4, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 3 R
- Nick Oelcher: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
- A.J. Cumbo: 1-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Alex Celeiro: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R
- Kyle DeCresce: 2-for-5, RBI, R
Queens
- Nick Piazza: 4-for-4, 2-2B, R
- Vincent Mallon: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
- Jordan Babbo: 2-for-4, RBI
- Thomas McElwee: 1-for-4, 2B
Game Two: 13-2 Queens
Queens erupted offensively and never looked back, powering past St. Thomas Aquinas with a 13–2 victory.
Fast Start for Queens
Queens jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Vincent Mallon launched a two-run home run to right field, giving the visitors a 2–0 advantage.
The offense exploded in the second inning, as Queens plated five runs to take firm control. RBI hits from Joshua Angely and Nick Piazza got things started before Mallon delivered again with a two-run double. Another run scored on a groundout to extend the lead to 7–0.
Adding On
Queens continued to build its lead in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Mallon, pushing the score to 8–0.
St. Thomas Aquinas got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when A.J. Cumbo drove in a run with a single, cutting the deficit to 8–1.
Late Surge Seals It
Queens put the game away in the sixth inning with another big rally. John Harkins knocked in two runs with a single, and Connor Waiting followed with a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 12–1.
The Spartans added a run in the sixth on an error, but Queens answered again in the seventh to cap the scoring at 13–2.
Strong Outing on the Mound
Severino Napolitano Jr. earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over 5.2 innings while striking out four. Johnny Dezago closed out the game in relief.
Key Performers
Queens
- Vincent Mallon: 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R
- John Harkins: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 SB
- Connor Waiting: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
- Nick Piazza: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
- Joshua Angely: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Joshua Mccormick: 2-for-3, 2 R
- A.J. Cumbo: 2-for-3, RBI
- Ryan Hillery: 1-for-4
- Michael Zeis: 1-for-3
Up Next
STAC closes out its season series with Queens College on Sunday, April 12 with first pitch scheduled for noon at Hennekens Stadium in Flushing, New York.