Amanda Schweitzer's grand slam home run led the St. Thomas Aquinas College women's softball team to a 9-5 win today over host New York Institute of Technology in the first game of an East Coast Conference doubleheader. NYIT rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the nightcap, 4-3.

In the first game, the Lady Spartans exploded for five runs in the first inning highlighted by Schweitzer's grand slam homer. Schweitzer's first home run of the season sparked STAC's 13-hit attack after they smashed 27 hits and 23 runs in its doubleheader sweep last week against Southern Connecticut State University. Sophomore Missy Sadler finished with three hits while Schweitzer, Kelcy McGeehan, Briana Keaveney and Ashley Landolina added two each. In the circle, right hander Colleen Borum held NYIT hitless through three innings and cruised until the seventh inning when the Bears scored four runs on five hits. McGeehan excelled defensively at second base.

"Amanda's grand slam got us off to a great start and was the biggest play of the game for us," said Kristen Sullivan, the STAC head coach. "I am very pleased with the way we are swinging the bats. We are getting contributions from a lot of players."

Landolina continued her exceptional offensive play in the nightcap. She stroked two RBI hits in the second game to help STAC build a 2-0 lead. Landolina's four hits in the doubleheader lifted her batting average to an impressive .467, which is second in the ECC. 

After NYIT tied the game in the sixth inning, the Spartans took the lead in the eighth inning on Amanda Leone's leadoff double and Brittany Malloy's clutch sacrifice fly to left field to score pinch runner Alyssa Sinski. The Bears rallied to win the game in the bottom of the inning on Kylie Lacerte's two-out, two-run double to right field. Keaveney was the hard luck losing pitcher. Landolina and Schweitzer sparkled defensively behind Keaveney.

"We've played much better since returning from Florida, where we played some of the best Div. II teams in the country," said Sullivan. "We are getting consistently strong pitching from Colleen and Briana that will help us play competitively in the important conference games coming up."

The Lady Spartans next play Queens College on Saturday in an ECC doubleheader at begins at noon at Spartan Field.