Posted: May 05, 2023
Rockville Centre, N.Y. - Freshman Elyse Marcano drove in two runs and Carissa Della Vecchia tossed a four-hitter to carry St. Thomas Aquinas College to a 3-1 triumph over Queens College on Friday in the second round of the East Coast Conference softball playoffs at the Rockville Centre Sports Complex. The win lifted STAC's record to 30-16 and marks the first 30-win season in the 42-year history of the program.
The important victory catapults the Spartans into tomorrow's championship round which begins at noon in Rockville Centre. STAC is unbeaten in the four-team, double-elimination tourney and needs just one win to clinch its first ECC championship. The conference champ will earn an automatic bid to the East Regionals that begin next week.
The Spartans erased a 1-0 disadvantage with a two-out rally in the second inning. Freshman Adriana Coira stroked a single to center field, stole second base and Marcano followed with a run-scoring double to right center field. Coira followed with an RBI single in the fifth inning to drive in Amanda Demmerle, who had doubled down the right field line earlier in the stanza, to give STAC the lead for good. In the seventh, STAC added an important insurance run. Nyla Sapia's pinch-hit single started the inning and Demmerle moved pinch runner Selena Davis to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Marcano then delivered a two-out, run-producing single to center field.
Della Vecchia used superb control to increase her record to 18-3. She struck out two, walked only one, and received excellent defensive play from Sarah Williams at third base and Demmerle in left field.
Provided by the St. Thomas Aquinas Sports Information Department.
