Winter Haven, Fla. -Winter Haven, Fla. -- Wins over Northeast-10 opponents Bentley University and Southern Connecticut State University highlighted St. Thomas Aquinas College's eight-game, six-day softball trip to The Spring Games in Winter Haven, Florida. Both wins came in dramatic fashion.

 

"We played against very good competition from all over the country and I am pleased with the way this young team competed," said STAC Head Coach Kristen Sullivan. "We won three of our last four games and lost four one-run games. It's always exciting to play against teams from different conferences and other parts of the country. This trip will make us a better team."

 

The young Spartans, who regularly start seven freshmen and sophomores, faced teams from Minnesota, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Illinois. 

 

The exciting 5-3 win over Bentley, which avenged STAC's loss to the Massachusetts school in the third round of last year's East Regionals, featured strong performances from several Spartans. Jessica Feerick had a key, run-producing single and Tara Hagan scored from third base on a great head-first slide to avoid the tag at home plate. STAC built a 4-1 lead but had to hold off a furious rally by Bentley, which scored two runs in the sixth inning. The Falcons put the potential tying runs on base in the seventh inning, but STAC relief pitcher Sarah Clancy was able to record the final outs.

 

STAC registered a 3-2 walkoff win against SCSU on Elyse Marcano's two-run single in the eighth inning. Clancy excelled again by going the distance and benefitting from excellent defensive play of Olivia Leon (catcher) and Aliya Feerick (right field).

 

Eliana Raposo was the winning pitcher and also stroked a triple in an 9-1 win over the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. STAC broke open the game with five runs in the third inning fueled by Leon and Hagan.

 

STAC finished 3-5 on the trip with setbacks to Concordia-St. Paul (3-2), Southern New Hampshire (5-4), Edinboro (2-1), Lewis (8-0) and Slippery Rock (3-2). The Spartans, now 5-11, next host crosstown rival Dominican University on Friday in a non-conference doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m.