The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team kicked off their 2020 Spring Break trip with a 7-2 victory over Frostburg State University on Friday evening at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
After two scoreless innings to start the game, Bryce Jackson would get Frostburg St. on the scoreboard first, via a two-out home run to center field off of STAC starter Alex Mack in the top of the third inning to make it 1-0 Bobcats.
St. Thomas Aquinas would tie things up in the bottom of the frame as first Michael D'Andrea would double to left field off of Bobcat starter Colby Lee with one out, followed by Andrew Jemison reaching base on an error by the Frostburg shortstop, scoring D'Andrea from second base. Matthew Johnson singled to center field to put runners at first and second, but Dylan Klock would end the inning, lining into a 7-6 double play.
The Bobcats would retake the lead in the top of the fourth, as AJ Campbell would single to left and Andrew Smith would reach via an error by the STAC first baseman to give Frostburg St. runners at the corners with one out. Tre D'Amico would then fly out to left field, scoring Campbell to put the visitors ahead at 2-1. Alex Mack would fan Worthy Hollister to keep it a one run game and end the stanza.
STAC would knot the game, once again, in the bottom of the fifth. Anthony Maisano would be hit by a pitch and then steal second base. A Michael D'Andrea ground out would move Maisano to third with one out. Maisano would score on a Colby Lee wild pitch to make it 2-2. Andrew Jemison (flyout) and Matthew Johnson (strikeout) would be the final two outs of the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans would strike for four runs, as Kyle Lagrutta would get things started by doubling to center field, then advancing to third base via a wild pitch. An Anthony Maisano single to left would plate Lagrutta to push the score to 3-2 in favor of STAC, and spell the end of the day for Bobcats pitcher Lee. Reliever Chris Roosevelt took the hill for Frostburg State, however the hit parade would continue, as Michael D'Andrea's single to left would put two runners on with no one out. Andrew Jemison would then move Maisano and D'Andrea up via a sacrifice bunt and Matthew Johnson would draw a one out walk to load the bases. Dylan Klock's bases loaded walk pushed Maisano home and doubled the maroon and gold lead at 4-2. Brian Donnelly would then make the second out on a flyout to left field, scoring D'Andrea to make it 5-2. Next, Paul DeVito was call upon to pinch-hit for James Versage and he would get on the stat sheet with a single to left, scoring Johnson and blowing the game open at 6-2. Roosevelt finally got out of the inning, striking out Andrew Guerra, but the damage was already done.
Frostburg State would fail to score in the top of the eighth inning, as Spartan reliever James Reilly would come on in place of Angelo Baez, who would pitch the seventh inning. St. Thomas Aquinas would scratch across another run in the bottom of the frame, as Tristan Everett would come on to pitch in place of Chris Roosevelt. Everett would pick up a Kyle Lagrutta ground out, but an error by the shortstop would get Anthony Maisano on base. Michael D'Andrea then grounded out for the second out of the inning, moving Maisano to second base. However, another error, this time by the first baseman, would put Andrew Jemison on base and score Maisano to make it a 7-2 game. After a Jemison steal of second, Matthew Johnson would strike out swinging for the final out of the eighth.
A scoreless top of the ninth by Reilly, including a ground out to third, a strikeout looking and pop up to second base, would end the contest and give St. Thomas Aquinas its fourth victory of the season, 7-2.
Spartan starter Alex Mack tossed six outstanding innings, picking up the no-decision, giving up six hits and an earned run, while walking one and striking out twelve. Angelo Baez would pick up the win (2-0) in relief, giving up only two hits in an inning of work. James Reilly came on to work the eighth and ninth innings for STAC, surrendering one hit and striking out two.
Bobcats hurler Colby Lee took the loss (3-0), as he pitched six innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs, while walking none and striking out seven. Reliever Chris Roosevelt pitched one inning, surrendering two hits and two runs, while walking two and striking out one. Tristan Everett would pitch the eighth inning, giving up a hit and striking out two.
St. Thomas Aquinas (4-3) continues their Spring Break tour in Cary, North Carolina on Saturday, as the Spartans take on the University of New Haven. First pitch is scheduled for 5pm.