The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team took a 7-3 victory over Molloy College in an East Coast Conference game at Provident Bank Park. The tilt was stopped after seven innings due to rain and the second game was postponed, rescheduled as what will now be a double-header at Molloy on Sunday, March 30. STAC improves to 12-6, 5-1 with the win, while Molloy falls to 6-9, 2-4.
After dropping the opener on Long Island on Friday, the Spartans struck early, plating four runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Stephen Sunday got the ball rolling with a two-run single, Nick D'Angelo brought in another with a hit, and Chris Goetz trotted home on a wild pitch.
Joe Boland's homer in the 4th made the score 5-0, and Spartan starter Rob Naughton was cruising through five innings, but the persistent rain began to take its toll as the afternoon wore on. Naughton hit the first three opposing batters to start the top of the 6th, and a two-RBI double brought the visitors to within 5-2. They would bring across another run before Matt Kostalos came on to record the final out.
With conditions deteriorating, STAC pushed across a pair of insurance runs in the last of the 7th, aided by four Molloy errors, with both scoring via wild pitches. After the conclusion of the frame, umpires and grounds crew toured the infield, at which time it was determined that the game was no longer playable. Contrary to the decision announced at that time, by league rules the game is considered official and final.
Naughton picked up his first win of the season, while Kostalos was credited with the save. Sunday and Stanley Susana had two hits each for St. Thomas Aquinas, which regained its hold on first place in the ECC by 1/2 game thanks to Dowling's rainout against Bridgeport.
Sunday's twin-bill wraps up the 4-game weekend conference set, which is currently tied at one game apiece. The Spartans will play a non-league battle on Tuesday night, April 1, against Dominican College at Provident Bank Park in a 7:00 pm start. Conference play resumes next weekend with a four game series against Mercy College, starting Friday.