Myrtle Beach, S.C. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team opened its 2026 campaign on the road in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina against Bentley University and Chestnut Hill College on Friday and Saturday. STAC split a doubleheader with the Falcons (W, 11-9 & L, 14-8) and beat the Griffins (21-5) to close out the abbrviated three-game trip and move their record to 2-1 on the year.

Sunday's matchup with Southern New Hampshire University has been cancelled due to travel logistics associated with the forecasted Nor'easter that is scheduled to hit the East Coast.

Game 1 vs. Bentley University

St. Thomas Aquinas edged out Bentley in a high-scoring showdown, 11-9, in a game full of home runs and lead changes.

Scoring Summary

• 1st Inning: Anthony Dimarco's two-run homer gave St. Thomas Aquinas an early 2-0 lead.

• 2nd Inning: Bentley cut the deficit to 2-1 on a sacrifice fly by Brian Hersh, but the Saints answered with two RBIs from Charlie Cordisco and a double from Ryan Hillery to make it 4-1.

• 3rd Inning: Bentley rallied with back-to-back homers by Nick Pappas (2 RBIs) and Jared Berardino (1 RBI) to tie the game at 4-4.

• 4th Inning: Both teams added a run—Bentley's David Vanderzouwen singled in Curt Heath, St. Thomas Aquinas' Nick Oelcher answered with an RBI single.

• 6th Inning: Oelcher homered for St. Thomas Aquinas, putting them ahead 7-5.

• 7th Inning: Bentley scored three runs to briefly take an 8-7 lead, but Joshua Mccormick's three-run homer reclaimed the lead for the Saints at 10-8.

• 8th Inning: Both teams added a run, with St. Thomas Aquinas holding on for the 11-9 victory.

Key Performers

• St. Thomas Aquinas:

  • Nick Oelcher: 4-for-4, 4 RBIs, 1 HR

  • Joshua Mccormick: 1 HR, 3 RBIs

  • Anthony Dimarco: HR, 2 RBIs

• Bentley:

  • Nick Pappas: 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBIs

  • Jared Berardino: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs

  • Curt Heath: 4 hits

Pitching Notes

• Bentley: Pat Heber took the loss, allowing 5 runs over 5 innings; Caleb Allen gave up 6 runs in relief.

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Lorent Hoti earned the win (3 IP, 3 ER) with Christian Simonsen closing out the game for his first save.

Both teams combined for 24 hits, 3 homers, and 20 RBIs in a slugfest that swung back and forth until the Saints pulled away late.

Game 2 vs. Bentley University

Bentley exploded offensively, overcoming an early deficit to claim a 14-8 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. The game featured multiple home runs and big innings, showcasing Bentley's firepower.

Scoring Summary

• 1st Inning: St. Thomas Aquinas struck first with an unearned run, but Bentley responded with a 6-run frame highlighted by a 4-RBI homer from Curt Heath and a solo shot by Jared Berardino, taking a 6-1 lead.

• 2nd Inning: Alex Celeiro hit a 3-RBI homer for St. Thomas Aquinas to pull within 6-4, but Bentley added four more runs, including a 3-RBI homer from Brendan Sencaj, extending their lead to 10-4.

• 3rd Inning: Bentley's Stan DeMartinis III homered for a 2-RBI contribution, pushing the score to 12-4.

• 4th Inning: Michael Zeis homered for St. Thomas Aquinas, but Bentley added two more runs (including a sacrifice fly and wild pitch) to make it 14-5.

• 7th Inning: The Saints rallied with two unearned runs from Joshua Mccormick and Nicholas Walker, but it wasn't enough to overcome Bentley's offensive onslaught.

Key Performers

• Bentley:

  • Curt Heath: 4 RBIs, HR

  • Brendan Sencaj: 3 RBIs, HR

  • Jared Berardino: HR, 2 RBIs

  • Tommy Goonan & David Vanderzouwen contributed key RBIs in multiple innings

• St. Thomas Aquinas:

  • Alex Celeiro: HR, 3 RBIs

  • Michael Zeis: HR, RBI

  • Joshua Mccormick: RBI

Pitching Notes

• Bentley: Zach Eigenbrod earned the win, giving up 5 runs over 4 innings, with Dylan Lawrence pitching 3 scoreless innings in relief.

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Christian Varela struggled early (6 ER in 0.1 IP) and took the loss, with multiple relievers allowing Bentley to pile on runs.

Bentley's early offensive burst proved decisive, as the Saints' late rally fell short despite home runs and a late push in the 7th inning.

Game 3 vs. Chestnut Hill

St. Thomas Aquinas put on an offensive clinic, scoring 21 runs on 25 hits to overpower Chestnut Hill, 21-5. The Saints combined power hitting, aggressive baserunning, and capitalized on defensive miscues to run away with the victory.

Scoring Summary

• Early Lead: St. Thomas Aquinas scored in the 1st inning on a Ryan Hillery RBI single, but Chestnut Hill answered with two runs to briefly take the lead, 2-1.

• 2nd Inning Explosion: St. Thomas Aquinas erupted for six runs, highlighted by multiple RBI hits and defensive errors, taking a 7-4 lead.

• Middle Innings: The Saints continued to pile on runs in the 3rd through 5th innings, including key hits by C.J. Cumbo, Alex Celeiro, Tyler Haydt, and Michael Zeis. By the 5th, St. Thomas Aquinas had a commanding 18-4 lead.

• Late-Game Scoring: The Saints added three more runs in the 7th, finishing with 21 total, while Chestnut Hill managed only one additional run in the 6th.

Key Performers

• St. Thomas Aquinas:

  • Michael Zeis: 4-for-4, 5 RBIs, 2 HRs

  • Nick Oelcher: 3 RBIs, key hits throughout

  • Alex Celeiro: Triple, double, 2 RBIs

  • C.J. Cumbo: 3 RBIs, multiple hits and stolen base

  • Tyler Haydt: 2 RBIs

• Chestnut Hill:

  • Kenyon Motley: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 3 SB

  • Anthony Jakeman: 1 RBI double

Pitching Notes

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Frailin Jimenez struggled early but Zachary Rometo and Christopher Lamond stabilized the pitching, combining for just 1 run over 5 innings.

• Chestnut Hill: Mason Adkins took the loss, giving up 7 runs in 2 innings, followed by a parade of relievers unable to contain the Saints' offense.

St. Thomas Aquinas dominated in nearly every phase, combining timely hitting, extra-base power, and aggressive baserunning to secure a lopsided victory and improve their record.

UP NEXT

STAC heads to Wilson, North Carolina for games against Georgian Court University, Clarion University and West Virginia Wesleyan College on February 27 and 28.