The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team settled for a split at Dowling College in an East Coast Conference twin bill, winning the opener 8-2 before dropping the second game, 1-0. Anthony Morris and Matt Kostolos tossed complete games, respectively as STAC is now 23-13-1 overall and 13-7 in the ECC, with Dowling at 24-10, 13-7.
Though the teams are currently tied atop the conference standings, Dowling currently sits in first place via tiebreaker after winning three-of-four in the weekend series. The Spartans reduced their Magic Number for an ECC Tournament berth to one against idle Molloy, which finishes its series with Mercy tomorrow. For ECC Standings, Click Here.
LIU Post is the first team to clinch a tourney slot with a 14-10 final record as the Pioneers will have a bye in the regular season's final week. Molloy, currently on the outside looking in but still alive, will have its work cut out with a series against Dowling, while the Spartans continue to battle for first in a tough set with third-place Bridgeport. For full ECC Schedule, Click Here.
Despite the final score, game one was a nailbiter until the final frame, with Morris hooked up with Dowling's Dominic Danetti. STAC drew first blood with a pair in the opening inning, as Giovanni Dingcong continued to swing the hot bat and Brandon Fischer contributed as well, with each posting RBI singles.
While Danetti would settle in thereafter, Morris was masterful from the outset, retiring the first 13 Golden Lions he faced until a fifth inning walk spoiled his perfection. He carried the no hitter until two were out in the home seventh, when Dan Parisi - who led off being hit by a pitch - scored from second on Jon Cruz' single to make the score 2-1.
STAC squandered opportunities to pull away in the late innings, but Derek Hirsch's infield hit in the eighth brought in a big run, and the Spartans would unload in the final inning. Fischer's two-run double was the big hit of the inning, one of six the visitors would post in a five-run outburst.
Morris, who had kept a tidy pitch count, tired in the ninth but with more than enough run support, was able to finish out the complete game, despite yielding a run on four hits in that last inning. The sophomore improved to 5-1 with the win while Dingcong and Fischer each had four-hit outings. Combined with his 3-for-3 outing in Friday's second game, Dingcong ran his streak to seven hits in eight at bats over the two contests.
Game two was much of the same story, with Dowling's Kyle DeMeo trading zeroes with Spartan Matt Kostolos. As his predecessor did, Kostolos held Dowling hitless through the first three frames, but DeMeo was up to the task.
After five scoreles innings, the Golden Lions finally broke through with the only run of the game in the home sixth, sparked by Mike Richter's leadoff double. He would eventually score on a Cruz RBI bunt single, and that was to be enough for the hosts.
DeMeo and relever Dennis Buckstein combined to not allow more than one hit in any one inning, scattering six over the game the starter improving to 3-1. Kostolos battled through the eight inning complete game, scattering eight hits in all and dropping to 6-3 with the hard luck loss. Rich Baerga was the offensive bright spot for the Spartans, going 2-for-2.
STAC plays its final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, hosting Felician College in a 3:30 pm start at Provident Bank Park. The Bridgeport series starts in Pomona with a 3:30 game on Friday, shifts to Bridgeport for a Saturday double-dip, and the regular season wraps up on Sunday back at PBP in a 1:00 pm Senior Day start.
The East Coast Conference Baseball Tournament will be hosted by Molloy College at Mitchel Park Complex in Uniondale, NY, from May 7-9. Any combination of one STAC victory or one Molloy loss will guarantee the Spartans a chance to defend their back-to-back conference titles.