Lewiston, N.Y. - After dodging heavy rain and high winds in Western New York on Saturday, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Baseball team returned to the diamond for a Sunday twin bill against D'Youville University at Bobo Field on the campus of Niagara University.

STAC won the four-game season series by splitting today's contests, with the Spartans winning game one, 9-8, before dropping game two, 7-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE

• A Jeremy Glinski first inning RBI single, scored Ethan Hammond to make it 1-0 D'Youville.
• STAC tied up the game at 1-1, when a Billy Morris wild pitch brought Sean Lynch to the plate in the second inning.
• In the bottom of the frame, Jon Simpson uncorked a two-run homer to left-centerfield to give the Saints a 3-1 lead.
• Sean Lynch's 2 RBI double to left-centerfield in the third inning, plated both Andrew Jemison and Gregory DiGiaro to tie the score, 3-3.
• A C.J. Cumbo single to left-centerfield in the fourth, scored both Dominic Crema and David Potenza to put the Spartans ahead for the first time at 5-3.
• D'Youville got a run back in the fifth inning on an RBI single to centerfield by Alec Boucher, scoring Ethan Hammond to make it 5-4.
• STAC put together a four-run sixth, courtesy of a Gregory DiGiaro RBI single to left field, an RBI sacrifice fly to right field by Sean Lynch and a two-run home run to left-centerfield by Nick O'Connor to extend the maroon and gold advantage to 9-4.
• The host Saints put a run on the scoreboard in the seventh inning via a Jeremy Glinski RBI single to centerfield, with Billy Morris scoring to cut the deficit to 9-5.
• Things got tense for the Spartans in the eighth, as D'Youville clawed back within one on a three-run shot to left-centerfield by Billy Morris to make it a 9-8 game.
• In the ninth inning, STAC reliever Mateo Reyes was able to slam the door on the Saints by striking out the side to secure the one-run victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO

• Game two began much like the one previous, as D'Youville took an early 1-0 lead on a first inning sacrifice fly by Billy Morris with Hunter Nowak making his way to the plate.
• STAC flipped the scoreboard in the second, as first Joseph Scamardella singled to centerfield, scoring Nick O'Conner to tie up the game at 1-1. Then a bases loaded walk to David Potenza, allowed Billy Minett to take the 90-foot walk to the plate to make it 2-1.
• Jon Simpson's second two-run home run of the day, this time to left field, put the Saints back ahead, 3-2 in the fourth inning.
• In the seventh inning, a Kyle Lagrutta single down the left field line brought C.J. Cumbo home to tie the game again at 3-3.
• David Potenza singled to centerfield in the eighth for STAC, gave the visitors a 4-3 advantage, as Joseph Scamardella scored.
• D'Youville went back ahead for the final time with a four-run eighth inning. First, a Dillon Cook 2 RBI single to left field, scored both Jeremy Glinski and Craig Oliver. to make it 5-4.
• Then Billy Morris singled through the right side, bringing home Caden Strobel and Dillon Cook to increase the Saints lead to 7-4.
• Sean Lynch tried to get the Spartans rally started in the ninth inning with a two-out RBI single to right-centerfield, scoring Andrew Jemison to cut the deficit to 7-5.
• A Nick O'Connor hit by pitch, put two STAC runners on base with Billy Minett coming to the plate, representing the possible game-winning run for the maroon and gold. Unfortunately Minett got under a pitch and flied out to left field to end the game.

STAC PERFORMANCES

• David Potenza went 4-for-7 with 2 RBI and a run scored.
• Nick O'Conner (4-for-9) hit a home run on the day, while recording 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
• Sean Lynch stroked two hits in four at-bats, including a double. He also posted 4 RBI and a run scored.
• Kyle Lagrutta recorded four hits. Meanwhile, Billy Minett, Andrew Jemison and C.J. Cumbo had two hits apiece.
• Andrew Alameda got the nod for Spartans in game one and gave up seven hits and four runs in five innings of work to pick up his third win (3-1) of the season. Alameda walked just one Saints batter, while fanning another.
• The Spartans bullpen of Matthew Polemeni, Ricardo Gonzalez and Mateo Reyes combined to hurl four innings, surrendering three hits and four runs, while walking one and K'ing seven. Reyes picked up this second save of the season for his perfect inning and two thirds on the hill.
• Bobby LeFevre got the start in game two and pitched four innings innings, giving up six hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out five. 
• Jeremiah Vega, Ryan Callaghan and Bryan Krolikowski worked the final four innings in relief for STAC. The trio combined to allow seven hits and four runs, while walking two and striking out two. Callaghan was charged with the loss (0-1) for surrendering three hits and three runs in an inning and two thirds worth of action.

FACTS & FIGURES

• The Spartans posted 14 runs on 23 hits, with 5 errors, while D'Youville earned 15 runs on 23 hits, with no errors in two games.
• STAC pitchers struck out 15 Saints batters, while issuing 5 walks on the day.
• St. Thomas Aquinas stranded 17 runners on base. D'Youville also left 17 in both contests.

UP NEXT

STAC (9-11, 3-1 ECC) returns home to face Pace University in a non-confernce tilt on Wednesday, March 29 (3:30 p.m.) at Clover Stadium in Pomona.