Sparkill, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team rallied from a 1-0 deficit on the strength of a sixth inning bases loaded walk and a well-placed RBI sacrifice fly to slip past the College of Staten Island by the score of 2-1 on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the East Coast Conference Tournament at Spartan Field.
STAC improves to 31-12 on the year, while CSI falls to 13-22.
The top-seeded Spartans advance to the second round Friday at 10:00 a.m. to meet second-seeded Mercy University, which topped D'Youville, 8-2, in Thursday's other first-round game.
2-1 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas completed the come from behind victory over Staten Island with a gritty 2–1 victory, capitalizing on late opportunities and strong pitching in a tightly contested battle.
Pitchers Set the Tone
Both teams were locked in a scoreless battle through five innings as hits and scoring chances were hard to come by. Staten Island starter Marena Grenier was outstanding despite the loss, limiting the Spartans to just one hit across six innings.
On the other side, Lauren Falk continued her strong day in the circle for St. Thomas Aquinas. The right-hander worked through traffic throughout the afternoon, stranding runners and keeping the game within reach.
Dolphins Strike First
Staten Island finally broke through in the sixth inning. Madilyn Paul came around to score on a wild pitch, giving the Dolphins a 1–0 advantage and putting pressure on the Spartans late.
Spartans Respond
St. Thomas Aquinas answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning without recording a hit. Elyse Marcano scored the tying run after Sofia Marella worked a bases-loaded walk.
Moments later, Trinadey Santiago lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Adriana Coira to tag and score the go-ahead run for a 2–1 Spartans lead.
Closing It Out
Falk earned the win after allowing just one unearned run across six innings while scattering eight hits and striking out three. Emma Grace Popp shut the door in the seventh to record the save and secure the ECC postseason victory for the Spartans.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
Adriana Coira: 0-for-1, 2 BB, R
Sofia Marella: RBI, BB
Trinadey Santiago: Sacrifice fly, RBI
Alyssa Haberstroh: 1-for-2, 2B
Lauren Falk: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K
Staten Island
Abbie Morris: 2-for-4
Madilyn Paul: 1-for-3, R
Bridget Motley: 1-for-3
Presley Borne: 2-for-2, BB
Marena Grenier: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
STAC's second-round opponent Mercy is a very familiar one, as the schools are separated by a little over 11 miles and the Hudson River. The Spartans won all four matchups with the Mavericks in the regular season.
2026 East Coast Conference Softball Tournament Schedule
Thursday, May 7
Game 1 – 12:00 PM – #4 Staten Island 1 vs. #1 St. Thomas Aquinas 2
Game 2 – 3:00 PM – #3 D'Youville 2 vs. #2 Mercy 8
Friday, May 8
Game 3 – 10:00 AM – #1 St. Thomas Aquinas vs. #2 Mercy
Game 4 – 12:30 PM – #4 Staten Island vs. #3 D'Youville
Game 5 – 3:00 PM – Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
Saturday, May 9
Game 6 – 12:00 PM – Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 7 – If Necessary – Game 6 Participants (If winner of Game 5 wins Game 6)
Game would begin 30 minutes after field prep is completed