The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team fell to a 5-2 defeat in their East Coast Conference series finale against Molloy at Mitchel Field. The Spartans took two of four in the season-opening set and stand at 5-6-1 overall, 2-2 ECC, with Molloy now at 7-9, 2-2.

Molloy jumped on top quickly in the home first when leadoff hitter Deilyn Guzman tripled off starter Matt Kostalos, and scored on a grounder. That lone tally would hold up through the last of the sixth, as Kostalos and Lions hurler Ronald Bauer traded zeroes until that point.

STAC fell into a 3-0 hole as a tiring Kostolos yielded a pair of two-out runs. Rich Cesca's RBI single in the seventh got the Spartans on the board, but Bauer held the visitors in check as his team extended the cushion to 5-1. Giovanni Dingcong's RBI ground rule double provided the final tally, but Bauer was the star of the day, scattering just five hits while fanning 15, while Kostalos fell to 1-2 with the loss.

The Spartans return to action tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25, hosting Nyack College. The 3:30 pm start will be played at Dutchess County Stadium, with STAC serving as the home team.