Albany, N.Y. - Despite scoring eight runs between the seventh and eighth innings on Wednesday afternoon, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team suffered a 14-8 setback to the College of Saint Rose in non-conference action at Bob Bellizzi Field.

STAC slips back to the .500 mark at 15-15, following the loss. Meanwhile, Saint Rose improves to 11-12 overall with the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The host Golden Knights stunned the Spartans with six-first inning runs on the strength of RBI singles by Tony Socci and Jared Reed and RBI doubles from James Ward and Ryan McGee, scoring Vince Venditti, Socci, Louis Gendron, Ward, Zephaniah Vaughn, Collin Casey and Reed.
• A scoreless bottom of the first frame by the maroon and gold gave way to the flood gates opening once again for Saint Rose, with another six-run inning in the second.
• First, a James Ward double brought Tony Socci to the plate to make it 7-0. Then, a pair of bases loaded walks to Collin Casey and Jared Reed, forced in both Louis Gendron and James Ward to increase the margin to 9-0.
• A bases loaded fielder's choice to Ryan McGee, combined with an error by the STAC first baseman, allowed both Zephaniah Vaughn and Casey to cross the plate, making it an 11-0 game.
• Jack McDonald's RBI fielder's choice, brought Reed home to close the scoring in the inning and push score to 12-0.
• McDonald would hit the scoresheet again in the fifth inning on a solo homer to make it 13-0.
• With the baker's dozen advantage in the sixth, Jared Reed singled to left field to score pinch runner Avery Pascucci and give Saint Rose the 14-0 advantage.
• STAC finally broke the shutout in the seventh, courtesy of Christopher Conti's bases loaded RBI groundout, which scored Justin Klayman to make it 14-1.
• In the eighth inning, the Spartans scored seven more times to narrow the gap on the scoreboard. First, a Golden Knights error allowed Kyle Lagrutta to reach base, while Andrew Jemison came home to cut the deficit to 14-2.
• Next, a bases loaded walk to Nick O'Connor brought C.J. Cumbo to the plate and made it a 14-3 game.
• Back-to-back 2 RBI doubles by Billy Minett and Kyle DeCresce, scored Lagrutta, Eric Volpi, O'Connor and Minett to put the score at 14-7.
• A David Potenza single to left field, brought DeCresce around to the plate and made it 14-8.
• The rally attempt would then grind to a halt with a flyout, strikeout and pop out to end the stanza.
• In the ninth, Saint Rose would close the game with a 1-2-3 inning, via a strikeout, groundout and flyout of the 4, 5 and 6 hitters.

STAC PERFORMANCES:

• C.J. Cumbo (1-for-4, double, run), Billy Minett (1-for-5, double, 2 RBIs, run) and Kyle DeCresce (1-for-1, double, 2 RBIs, run) provided extra base hits for the Spartans
• STAC also received a hit apiece from Andrew Jemison, Nick O'Connor and David Potenza.
• John Dezago got the start for Spartans and lasted only two-thirds of an inning, surrendering six runs on four hits, while walking two. Dezago drops to 0-3 on the season.
• Ryan Callaghan, Will Kindl, Jack Wilde and Robert Williams were tasked with keeping the game within reach for Spartans for the final seven and one-third innings. However, the bullpen allowed eight hits and eight runs, while walking six Golden Knights batters and striking out another seven.

FACTS & FIGURES:

• The Spartans posted 8 runs on 6 hits, with 2 errors, while Saint Rose earned 14 runs on 12 hits, with 1 error.
• STAC pitchers struck out 7 Golden Knights batters, while issuing 8 walks on the day.
• St. Thomas Aquinas stranded 7 runners on base. Meanwhile Saint Rose left 8 in the contest.

UP NEXT:

STAC opens a crucial four-game ECC series with Molloy University on Friday, April 14 (3:30 p.m.) at the RVC Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, N.Y.