Sparkill, N.Y. - Needing just one victory to capture their third straight ECC postseason title, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team dropped a pair of championship round contests to D'Youville University on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field.
D'Youville (23-18) took home its first-ever East Coast Conference Softball Championship with 5-1 and 1-0 victories, and secures an automatic bid, and inaugural appearance, in the upcoming NCAA Division II Softball Tournament. Meanwhile, STAC (30-19) loses consecutive games for the first time since March 26 (vs. Pace) and awaits their seeding as an at-large bid in the dance.
In the first game of the day, the Saints raced out to a 5-0 first inning lead with the help of a pair of defensive miscues by the Spartans and three run-scoring doubles. It also chased starting pitcher Sarah Clancy (L, 17-10) from the contest, as she was replaced by Madison Puppolo after surrendering five runs (four earned) on three hits with a walk while not recording an out.
STAC's only offense in the opener came via Trinadey Santiago's solo shot to center field in the sixth to make it 5-1. D'Youville pitcher Summer Clark (W, 4-4) helped send her team to a winner-take-all game seven on the strength of seven spectacular innings in the circle, where she allowed one run on seven hits with a walk and four Ks.
Madison Puppolo also worked through seven innings in relief, giving up six hits while fanning one Saints hitter.
The final clash between the Spartans and Saints featured a pitchers duel between the aforementioned Clancy, who returned to the circle following her earlier struggles, and Sarah Parzych. Offense was at a premium in this one, but D'Youville managed to get a run on the board in the second inning via a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. The STAC offense could not get ramped up in the championship finale, as Parzych shut things down, allowing three hits overall and just one base runner over the final five innings of play.
In the last inning, and with the heart of the maroon and gold order up to bat, Eliana Raposo, Sofia Marella and Trinadey Santiago were sent down via a pop up, ground out and fly out to the end the game.
Sarah Parzych (W, 12-3) went the distance for D'Youville and allowed just three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. The senior right-hander was named the ECC's Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament in recognition of her efforts. Meanwhile, Sarah Clancy (L, 17-11) pitched six innings while giving up a run on two hits with three walks and two Ks.
STAC will know where they are going and who they will be facing on Monday, May 5, as the East Region schedule will be announced at 10 a.m. on the Division II Softball Selection Show at NCAA.com, with games beginning May 8.