The St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team repeated history from the ECC Tournament, sweeping Dowling College to win the Division II East Regioin Title in Manchester, NH. The Spartans advance to the NCAA Division II Championship in Cary, NC, May 24-31. STAC won the first game of the day by a 4-2 count, and Matt Kostolos came back on two days rest to throw a complete-game shutout in a 3-0 title clinching victory.
STAC now stands at 38-16 overall, while Dowling's season comes to a close with a 36-17 mark.
*** UPDATE*** - The Spartans will begin their quest for the National Championship against South Central Region champion Colorado Mesa University (44-11), which defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville, 7-6 in their final contest. Other teams bracketed with St. Thomas Aquinas are Atlantic Region champs Seton Hill University (40-15) and Central Region winner Minnesota State University-Mankato (45-9). Those teams will play Sunday at 1:00 pm. For Full Interactive National Championship Bracket, click HERE! *** END UPDATE***
After forcing a final game with their earlier victory, the Spartans sent Kostolos to the mound to face Dowling's Cody McPartland. Kostolos danced through early control problems before settling down, while McPartland was strong through five scoreless innings.
Kostolos stranded a runner at second with two down in the top of the 6th and the Spartans went to work, with Dowling's fielding once again opening the door. Mike Apreda led off with a line single to right, and gave way to pinch runner Kadeem Octave. McPartland was done for the day, with Nick Persad coming on in relief.
Rich Baerga laid a bunt down the first base line but Persad's flip was just offline, pulling first baseman JC Brandmaier off the base as Baerga was credited with a single, moving Octave to second.STAC then benefitted from a somewhat unlucky, lucky bounce.
Persad's pitch in the dirt got by catcher Mike Rizzitello, but hit home plate ump Dave Sparanza and stayed near the plate. With Octave breaking, Parisi's throw was nearly in time but was offline, caroming into right field and allowing Octave to score the game's first run. Baerga then stole third and came in on Derek Hiirsch's two-out single, putting the Spartans up a pair.
Now pitching with the lead, Kostolos found his groove, retiring the Golden Lions in order in the 7th, as his offense tacked on another run. Stanley Susana led off with a single, advanced on a fielding error by third baseman Vinny Orlando. and Omar Cuevas laced an RBI single through the hole to give STAC a 3-0 cushion.
Dowling went down in order in the 8th but had a glimmer of hope when Brandemaier was hit by a pitch to lead off the visiting 9th. Parisi followed with a grounder to third, and CJ Ferriggi started an around-the-horn twin killing to bring the game to its final out. Rob Veltre went down swinging and the celebration was on, as the Spartans accepted their first Regional Championship trophey.
Kostolos improved to 7-2 on the season with the win, while McPartland fell to 1-4 with the hard-luck loss. CJ Ferriggi was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player on the strength of his one win, one save effort on the mound and his standout play at third base through the weekend.
St. Thomas Aquinas will return to action on Sunday, May 25, at the US National Baseball Center in Cary, North Carolina, taking on the winner of the South Central winner in a 5:00 pm start. Eight teams remain in the quest for the Division II National Championship.