Rob Frank tossed a no-hitter in the nightcap as the St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team recorded an 8-7, 16-1 East Coast Conference sweep of the University of Bridgeport at Provident Bank Park. STAC scored three runs in the last inning to win the opener and improves to 14-6 overall, 5-1 in conference play while Bridgeport fell to 5-10, 0-2.
Game one started in promising fashion for the Spartans, pushing three runs across in the bottom of the first, capped by a two-RBI double by Mike Russo. STAC starter Joe DePool looked comfortable until running into trouble in the third, as Bridgeport took full advantage of a missed double-play opportunity for the Spartans to explode for four runs on three hits to take the lead.
Bridgeport would chase both DePool and reliever Mike Roestenberg in the fourth, adding three more runs to open a 7-3 gap before Brian Tompkins came in to escape further damage. STAC chipped away with a run in the fifth on Stanley Susana's RBI single, and another in the sixth on Nick Barbalato's run-scoring bunt single to make the score 7-5.
That would set the stage for some final frame theatrics, as Frank Salerno led off with a single and Ken Kirshner walked to set the table. After a double-steal put the tying runs in scoring position, Susana walked to load the bases. With one out, Andrew Romanella - running for Salerno - scored on a passed ball to bring STAC to within one, and Efrain Bautista walked to once again jam the bags.
Pinch-hitter Stephen Sunday hit what would have been a game-tying sac fly to right, but Purple Knight outfielder Justin Weakley dropped the fly ball, tying the score and keeping the bases full of Spartans. Rich Baerga followed with his second game-winning at-bat in the last three games, singling to left to send his squad to an 8-7 win. That would make a winner of reliever Jon Scott, who threw two scoreless innings to improve to 2-0, while Salerno returned to the line up with a three-hit outing.
Any momentum to be had belonged entireld to St. Thomas Aquinas in game two, and while the outcome wasn't as suspenseful, Rob Frank was able to provide an even more exciting result.
With St. Thomas Aquinas batting first in game two, the "visitors" jumped ahead early with a Ken Kirshner single bringing in two runs to provide an early lead. STAC would remove all doubt in the third inning, with a nine-run explosion on seven hits, with Kirshner bringing home the third of his four RBI on the day.
Frank took full advantage of his team's outburst, allowing just four walks and a hit batter through five innings. The Spartans continued the onslaught with a run in the fifth and three in the sixth to open a 15-0 lead. The Purple Knights broke the shutout in the last of the sixth, still without the benefit of a hit. After retiring the first two batters, Frank issued a walk and hit a batter, followed by a wild pitch. Bridgeport's lone run would come across on a passed ball, rending it unearned.
Stephen Sunday's homer deep to right center in the top of the seventh was icing on the cake for STAC, as all eyes were on Frank in the last of the seventh and final inning. After hitting the leadoff batter with a pitch, an obviously fatiguing Frank dug deep to fan the next two batters, running his total to nine. Louis Pane would hit a one-strike pitch weekly back to the mound, with the starting pitcher running to the bag himself to complete the stellar performance.
The no-hitter was actually the second in as many seasons for St. Thomas Aquinas, as former ace and now coach Matt Marotta tossed a six-inning gem - ironically also allowing one run - in a 4-1 victory at Adelphi on March 4, 2012.
Rich Baerga continued to wield the hot bat with four hits in game two, while Kirshner added three in the 19-hit attack. Susana had a busy evening, scoring four runs as the Spartans ran to their fifth straight victory overall.
After a day off for Good Friday, the teams travel to Bridgeport for game three of the series this Saturday, before returning to Provident Bank Park for the finale on Monday, April 1 at 3:00 pm.