St. Thomas Aquinas College closed the book on its seventh 20-win season in program history on Sunday, by splitting a doubleheader with host College of Staten Island in East Coast Conference softball action. STAC won the first game, 3-0, and Staten Island scored a 5-4 win in game two.

STAC, now 22-10 overall, earned a post-season playoff bid in the ECC playoffs for the second consecutive season (2020 season was suspended due to COVID), with an impressive 16-8 conference record. The team will compete in the best-of-three semifinal series on Friday and Saturday, May 7 & 8 against an opponent to be determined. The schedule will be officially announced on Wednesday. The championship best-of-three series is scheduled May 14-15, with the winner clinching a berth in the NCAA Div. II Eastern Regionals at St. Anselm College on May 19-22. The national championship tournament will be in Colorado Springs beginning on May 27.

Run-scoring singles by freshman Tara Hagan and Rudae Gadson were the big hits in a three-run second inning rally and winning pitcher Carissa Della Vecchia took it from there. The junior lefty allowed just two hits and struck out 12 batters to post the shutout. Senior Paige Toothaker pitched well in the second game for the Lady Spartans.

“This was a very challenging season because of the pandemic, but we still managed to win 22 games and reach the playoffs,” said STAC Head Coach Kristen Sullivan. “We have a week to get ready for the second season that begins on Friday in the playoffs.”