Elise Oliande’s sacrifice fly culminated a dramatic two-run, seventh inning rally to give St. Thomas Aquinas College a 3-2 win over D’Youville College today in East Coast Conference softball action at Dobson Field in Buffalo. 

 

D’Youville won the first game of the doubleheader, 6-5, to snap STAC’s 10-game win streak. The split pushed STAC’s overall record to 13-3 and 7-1 in the conference. 

 

The game-winning rally was started with a single by Carissa Della Vecchia and Missy Sadler reaching base via an error by the D'Youville pitcher on a sacrifice bunt, before Schweitzer followed with a clutch, line drive single to left field to score Della Vecchia to knot the score at 2-2. After Amanda Castro reached first base on an infield single, Oliande lifted a long fly to centerfield to plate Sadler with the deciding run. Sadler finished with two hits, two runs scored and two stolen bases. 

 

Senior Paige Toothaker posted the win and was supported by outstanding defense by shortstop Nikki MacDonald, who had seven assists. 

 

“Winning three of four in Buffalo makes this a successful trip,’” said STAC Head Coach Kristen Sullivan. “We showed a lot of heart to come from behind in the second game and we received another solid pitching effort from Paige.”

 

The Spartans’ rally in the seventh inning fell short in the first game. Sadler had two hits and scored twice and Castro had two hits and two RBI.

 

STAC next travels to Queens College on Tuesday, April 20 for an ECC doubleheader that begins at 2:30 pm.