Emilee Mayer’s two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted St. Thomas Aquinas College to a dramatic 3-2 win over visiting Georgian Court University in the first game of a non-conference softball doubleheader at Spartan Field. Georgian Court won the second game, 8-2.

Mayer’s game-winning home run sailed over the right field fence and just beyond the reach of the right fielder Jayda Jones. Teammate Amanda Schweitzer led off the fateful seventh inning with a clutch single to right field. Mayer’s big hit made a winner of pitcher Carissa Della Vecchia, who pitched another gem. She allowed only one hit and struck out 12 batters to record her second win. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before yielding a two-run homer to Adriana Mungo. Mikayla Gilgert pitched well for GCU in the loss.

“Our team never gave up and Emilee came through with a clutch home run,” said STAC Head Coach Kristen Sullivan. “Carissa turned in another outstanding pitching performance.”

Della Vecchia gave the Lady Spartans a quick lead in the second game with a long, solo homer, the first of her three hits in the game. GCU, picked to finish first in the preseason coaches poll in the Central Atlantic College Conference, quickly took control of the game with an offense that accumulated 14 hits. Schweitzer had two doubles for STAC.

STAC (2-2) next hosts Dominican College on Friday in a non-conference doubleheader at Spartan Field, which begins at noon.