Garden City, N.Y. - For the first time in the 47-year history of the St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball program, the maroon and gold punched their ticket to the East Super Regional round of the NCAA Division II tournament with a thrilling 7-5, extra innings, victory over Adelphi University on Saturday afternoon at Janet L. Ficke Field on Long Island.
STAC earns its NCAA D2-best 21st straight victory and sets a new program record for wins at 36, improving to 36-12. The Spartans await the winner of the other East Regional bracket, which contains No. 1 Franklin Pierce, No. 4 Caldwell, No. 5 Assumption and No. 8 Mercy.
7-5 STAC (8-Innings)
St. Thomas Aquinas battled through late adversity and extra innings to defeat Adelphi, 7–5, on Saturday afternoon behind a clutch performance from Elyse Marcano and another key relief outing from Emma Grace Popp.
Spartans Strike First
The Spartans wasted little time getting on the board in the opening inning.
Elyse Marcano ignited the offense with a leadoff hit and eventually scored when Trinadey Santiago lined an RBI single up the middle, giving STAC an early 1–0 advantage.
Adelphi answered in the second inning with a pair of RBI hits. Ava Hershkovitz delivered a run-scoring double to left center before Emma Priest added an RBI single to push the Panthers ahead 2–1.
That score held until the fifth when the Spartans regained control in emphatic fashion.
Marella Delivers Another Big Swing
With Marcano aboard in the fifth inning, Sofia Marella launched a two-run homer to center field, flipping the deficit into a 3–2 STAC lead.
The Spartans added insurance in the seventh after Marcano crossed the plate on Marella's sacrifice fly to right. During the play, Olivia Leon raced home on a throwing error by the catcher, extending the lead to 5–2.
Adelphi refused to go quietly in the bottom half.
The Panthers capitalized on a Spartans fielding error and tied the game at 5–5 without recording an RBI hit in the inning, forcing extras.
Marcano Comes Through in Extras
St. Thomas Aquinas responded immediately in the eighth.
After an Alyssa Haberstroh double to right center and Jordyn Gautier worked a walk, Marcano delivered the decisive blow — a two-run triple into right center field that scored both runners and restored the Spartans' lead at 7–5.
Emma Grace Popp closed the door in the bottom half to secure the victory.
Popp Shuts It Down in Relief
After Lauren Falk started the game and allowed two earned runs on four hits across three innings, Emma Grace Popp entered in relief and steadied the Spartans the rest of the way.
Despite three unearned runs crossing in the seventh, Popp did not allow an earned run over five innings while striking out one to improve to 18–1 on the season.
Key Performers
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Elyse Marcano: 3-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
- Sofia Marella: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 1 R
- Trinadey Santiago: 2-for-4, RBI
- Olivia Leon: 1-for-3, R, SB
- Alyssa Haberstroh: 1-for-4, 2B
- Jordyn Gautier: 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, SB
- Lauren Falk: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB
- Emma Grace Popp: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, K
Adelphi
- Emma Priest: 2-for-3, RBI, R
- Ava Hershkovitz: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
- Tori Parente: 2-for-3
- Faith Wagner: 1-for-3, 2B
- Jenna Plue: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
- Lily Kenney: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
2026 NCAA Division II Softball Championship -- East 2 Regional (May 14-16)
at Janet L. Ficke Field - Garden City, N.Y.
Thursday, May 14
Game 1: #7 Bridgeport 0 vs. #2 Adelphi 3
Game 2: #6 So. New Hampshire 6 vs. #3 St. Thomas Aquinas 7
Friday, May 15
Game 3: #2 Adelphi 1 vs. #3 St. Thomas Aquinas 3
Game 4: #7 Bridgeport 1 vs. #6 So. New Hampshire 2
Game 5: #6 So. New Hampshire 1 vs. #2 Adelphi 2
Saturday, May 16
Game 6: #3 St. Thomas Aquinas 7 vs. #2 Adelphi 5