The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team trailed in both games before rallying for 14-9 and 4-2 victories over Molloy College in the East Coast Conference season-opening double-header on Sunday. Stanley Susana drove in six runs for the Spartans, who stand at 5-4-1, 2-0 after the wins, with Molloy falling to 5-9, 0-2.

STAC starter Anthony Morris got off to a rough start in game one, surrendering four first-inning runs on as many hits, but it was not a sign of things to come. Rich Baerga got the momentum turned in the Spartans' favor with an RBI triple and came in to score on a Susana grounder, halving the deficit to 4-2.

Baerga would again be in the mix when STAC took charge against Molloy ace Shea Spitzbarth, singling to start a third-inning rally. Nick Gargan reached on a bunt single, and Susana followed with an RBI hit to draw the Spartans to within one. Giovanni Dingcong would follow with the big blast, as his three-run homer to left center gave his team a lead it would not relinquish.

Gargan added an RBI single in the fourth to make the score 7-4; meanwhile Morris settled in and was in complete control against the Lions' offense. The sophomore righty would go on to allow just four more hits in tossing blanks over his last seven innings, while his team's bats did the rest.

Susana continued his stellar performance with a two-run homer in the seventh, and an RBI triple by Brandon Fischer followed by a run-scoring single by Rich Cesca later in the frame make the score 11-4. STAC put the finishing touches on the rout in the eighth with Susana pounding another RBI hit, and Fischer adding a sac fly later in the inning.

Much as they started the day, Molloy would put together a ninth inning rally against STAC reliever Frank Muraca, but the Spartans would hold on Morris claimed the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. The Spartans' 16-hit onslaught included three apiece from Susana and Dingcong, and two hits each for Joe Pena, Baerga, Gargan, and Cesca.

Molloy jumped on top again in the nightcap, with a first inning run on the strength of a double, a wild pitch and a sac fly. Susana plated a run to tie the score in the bottom half, but a run-scoring wild pitch put the Lions back on top in the top of the second.

From that point, STAC starter Nick May and Molloy counterpart Alex Brosnan engaged in a pitchers' duel, with the score remaining unchanged into the home sixth. Nick Gargan led off with a single and Susana's shot went for a ground rule double, leaving the go-ahead runs in scoring position with none out.

Brosnan would rebound to strike out the next two hitters, but Christian Santo walked to load the bases, and pinch-hitter Jon McGugan came through, with his pinch single to left driving home a pair to put the Spartans in a 3-2 lead.

May would go seven strong innings, allowing just two runs on five hits before giving way to Chris Pennell, who worked a scoreless eighth. Giovanni Dingcong's RBI single plated an insurance run in the bottom half, and it was more than enough as Santo came on to work a hitless ninth to secure the sweep.

With the victory, May improved to 1-1 on the campaign with Santo earning his second save. Brosnan was tagged with his first loss of the season with the setback. Susana and Gargan each had a pair of hits for the Spartans.

These teams will complete their four-game conference series tomorrow, Monday, March 23, also at Mitchel Field on Long Island. Molloy will serve as the home team for the double-header that will begin at 4:00 pm.