The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team opened its six-game Florida trip with a 20-3 victory over Caldwell University in Lantana. The Spartans now stand at 6-3 on the season, and return to action this afternoon, taking on Bloomfield College in a 3:00 pm start.

Rich Cesca, Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Spartans ahead in the top of the 3rd, but Caldwell answered with a pair in the home half. Only one of those runs was earned, Morris' first allowed this season.

Caldwell's lead would not last long, as Tyler Patane's two-run double keyed a five-run 4th inning uprising to make the score 6-2. Using that momentum, Morris got back on track by striking out the side and his offense doing the rest, as Nick Gargan belted a two-run homer in another five-run frame.

With STAC leading by an 11-2 count, Morris departed after five solid innings, only to see the Spartans add four more in both the 6th and 7th innings to break the game open. Ryan Coulon had a two-run hit in the 7th as STAC cruised from there.

Patane had four hits and scored five times in the 19 hit attack, with Gargan adding three hits in the outburst. Morris earned the win with five solid innings of work, as the right-handed has now yielded just eight hits over his 20 innings while improving to 2-0 on the season.

After Saturday, the Spartans will play four more games in Florida before returning to the northeast.

Please Note - Due to unplayable conditions at Provident Bank Park, the scheduled home opening weekend against St. Anselm's College will be played at a site to be determined. Please check the schedule for updates.

- Steve Balsan, St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information

- Photo by Dorice Arden