Winter Haven, Fla. - Newcomers Abbie Landrum and Emilie Olivier highlighted St. Thomas Aquinas College’s softball play in its eight-day, seven-game trip to Winter Haven, Fla., this week. STAC dropped six of seven games in The Spring Games, which features top NCAA Div. II teams from across the country.

Landrum, a freshman from Buena Park, Calif., pitched well in three games to continue her impressive mound work in her first collegiate season. She has won the East Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Week award the last two weeks that was highlighted by a one-hit shutout over the University of New Haven.

Olivier,  a transfer from Concordia College, has emerged as one of the team’s best two-way players with her excellent hitting and defensive prowess at third base and catcher. She excelled in STAC’s eight-inning 6-3 loss to Pace University with a two-run double and a two-out, game-tying double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Olivier competed for Team France last summer in the WBSC Euro Championships in Italy.

The Spartans faced formidable teams from Minnesota, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and North Dakota without senior Nikki MacDonald, the team’s starting shortstop and offensive sparkplug. Three games were rained out in a week of unstable weather.

“We faced very strong teams this year but we will benefit from playing against this level of competition when we begin conference play,” said Kristen Sullivan, STAC’s head coach. “Abbie has been able to deliver consistent pitching and I’ve been very impressed with Emilie’s all-around play.”

Amanda Schweitzer homered in STAC’s 8-2 win over Salem University (WV) and Amanda Castro homered in a 4-3 loss to Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 4-3. Landrum had three hits and fellow freshman Amanda Demmerle added two hits in a 3-1 setback to nationally ranked St. Anselm College.

STAC (2-9) next hosts the College of St. Rose on Sunday (March 20) in a non-conference doubleheader that begins at noon at Spartan Field.