The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team dropped its second straight game, as Queens College rode a four-run eighth inning to an 8-6 victory at Provident Bank Park. The setback dropped STAC to 22-12 overall while Queens improved to 6-17. Despite their two straight East Coast Conference losses, the Spartans maintain a one-game lead in the conference standings over both Dowling and CW Post.

STAC's loss squandered a three-hit performance from Mike Russo, including the Spartans' first-ever home run at PBP.

Queens scored an unearned run in the top of the first when Stanley Susana was unable to field a grounder, allowing Rob Bernardo to score. STAC answered with single runs in each of the first three innings to grab the lead.

Russo's first hit of the day was an RBI single, driving in Nick Barbalato to tie the score after one inning. Efrain Bautista singled home Derek Hirsch in the next inning to put STAC ahead, and Russo's two-out solo shot into the right field porch in the third put his team up by two. The Knights got one back in the fifth on a sac fly by CJ Gerdowsky and reclaimed the lead an inning later with two more runs as a walk to Mike Shada forced home one and a single by Tom Mercatante put the visitors back on top.

The Spartans would quickly score the equalizer as Frank Salerno's single brought in Hirsch to deadlock things at 4-4 through six. STAC reclaimed the lead in the seventh on a Matt Marotta RBI single and added another on Stanley Susana's sac fly. Despite trailing by two, Queens would post the decisive rally in the eighth.

Anthony Mazzella's RBI double was the Kinghts' third straight hit to start the frame and cut the deficit to 6-5. Warren Kelly would then walk to force in the tying run, while a misplay by Salerno on a potential double-play ball allowed the decisive runs to come in. Queens starter Joe Salinitri, who was touched for 16 hits in all, settled in to retire seven of the final eight Spartan hitters to earn a hard-fought complete game victory, raising his record to 3-1. Dan Diaz took the loss in relief, falling to 1-1 overall.

STAC will next play a "road" game at PBP with Dominican College serving as the home team on Thursday, April 12. IMPORTANT SCHEDULE NOTE - the non-conference game with Queens College scheduled for Friday, April 13th has been CANCELED. The Spartans will play their next official home game when they welcome Caldwell College on Sunday, April 15.

Remember, if you can't make it to the park you can follow the Spartans in real time for every home game and select road contests by clicking on the "Live Stats" link (where available) on the team schedule.

East Coast Conference Standings (thru 4/10/12)