Sparkill, N.Y. - Behind three home runs and stellar pitching, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team captured their third East Coast Conference tournament championship with a decisive 10-3 victory over D'Youville University on Sunday morning at Spartan Field.
STAC improves to 33-12 on the year, winning its 18th consecutive game, and advances to the upcoming NCAA Division II East Region tournament, beginning on Thursday, May 14. Meanwhile, D'Youville closes its 2026 campaign at 22-20.
Additionally, Spartans pitcher Lauren Falk was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. The sophomore right-hander went 3-0 with an 0.77 earned run average and 11 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.
10-3 STAC
St. Thomas Aquinas used a late offensive explosion and another strong outing from Lauren Falk to defeat D'Youville, 10–3, on Sunday.
Spartans Respond After Early Deficit
After three scoreless innings, D'Youville grabbed the game's first lead in the bottom of the third when Frankie Morris launched a two-run homer to center field, putting the Saints ahead 2–0.
The Spartans answered immediately in the fourth.
Olivia Leon sparked the rally before Jordyn Gautier delivered an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit in half. Moments later, Nayah Diaz beat out an infield single to score Sofia Marella and tie the game at 2–2.
St. Thomas Aquinas completed the comeback later in the inning when Elyse Marcano lined an RBI single up the middle, bringing home Alyssa Haberstroh for a 3–2 advantage.
Power Surge Breaks It Open
The Spartans blew the game open in the fifth inning behind a barrage of extra-base hits.
Sofia Marella crushed her 15th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field, to extend the lead to 5–2. For Marella, the blast now puts her atop the team's single-season home run leaderboard, passing former teammate Eliana Raposo. Later in the frame, Yazmine Garcia ripped a two-run double down the left-field line, scoring Haberstroh and Trinadey Santiago.
Marcano followed with another RBI single to cap a five-run inning and push the STAC lead to 8–2.
The long ball continued in the sixth as Marella connected again with a solo homer, her 16th, over the left-field foul pole before Santiago launched a solo shot of her own to left, stretching the advantage to 10–2.
D'Youville added an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, but Falk and the Spartans closed things out from there.
Falk Strong Again in Complete-Game Win
Lauren Falk tossed another complete game for St. Thomas Aquinas, allowing just three hits and two earned runs across seven innings while striking out four.
The right-hander settled in after the third inning and held D'Youville to just one hit over the final four frames to earn her 17th victory of the season.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Elyse Marcano: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB
- Olivia Leon: 2-for-4, 2 R
- Sofia Marella: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
- Trinadey Santiago: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R
- Alyssa Haberstroh: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
- Yazmine Garcia: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
- Jordyn Gautier: 3-for-3, RBI, SB
- Nayah Diaz: 2-for-4, RBI
- Lauren Falk: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
D'Youville
- Frankie Morris: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
- Mikayla Hussar: 1-for-3, RBI
- Shannon Howes: 1-for-2
- Summer Clark: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, K
- Kendal Lehnen: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, K
- Hailee Jenkins: 1.2 IP, 1 H
The NCAA Championship selection show is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. and can be viewed live on ncaa.com.