Adrianna Dilal and Colleen Borum earned victories, and Head Coach Kristen Sullivan registered her 150th career collegiate win on Tuesday, as the St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team swept host Queens College in both ends of their East Coast Conference doubheader opener. STAC won by the scores of 12-2 and 6-1 to even their overall record at 8-8.
In the first game, the Spartans broke open a close game with a late-inning offensive explosion. Junior Taylor Sullivan's two-run double snapped the 2-2 tie in the fourth inning and freshman Amanda Castro hit her first collegiate home run in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 5-2.
STAC put the game away with five runs in the seventh inning on run-scoring hits by Sullivan, Alyssa Chelak and Ashley Landolina. Sullivan finished with two doubles and three RBI while Landolina had three hits, including a homer. Melissa Sadler added three hits and excelled defensively in centerfield. Borum threw a four-hitter and retired nine consecutive batters to finish the game. It was her fifth win of the young season.
There was plenty of irony in the milestone win for Sullivan, who is one of the college's all-time best pitchers. Dilal, a junior right hander, was brilliant from start to finish, as she struck out the first seven batters of the game and finished with 13 strikeouts and a dominant three-hit performance. She also added to the Spartan offense with a homer in the third inning.
The Spartans' five-run sixth inning decided the game. Briana Keaveney stroked a leadoff double and Kate Francoeur drilled a clutch single to score the go-ahead run. Castro and Kelcy McGeehan followed with RBI hits.
"Colleen and Adrianna pitched exceptionally well today and we responded with a lot of timely hits in the later innings," said Sullivan. "The 150 wins is a tribute to all of my players over the years. Coaching is a great passion of mine and I've really enjoyed working with so many talented young athletes."
STAC opens their 2019 home schedule with Post University on Thursday, March 28 in a non-conference doubleheader at Spartan Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.