Softball

Spartans Survive Two So. New Hampshire Rallies, Win 7-6 in Walk-Off Fashion at NCAA East Regional

Garden City, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team survived a pair of late-inning Southern New Hampshire rallies, and received a walk-off RBI single by Elyse Marcano to take the opener of the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament, 7-6, on Thursday afternoon at Janet L. Ficke Field on the campus of Adelphi University.

No. 3 STAC wins its NCAA Division II-best 19th straight game and improves to 34-12, and will take on the No. 2 seed and hosts Adelphi University (36-21) on Friday morning (May 15) at 10:00 a.m. in the winners bracket game. Meanwhile, No. 6 SNHU falls to 33-22 and will face No. 7 University of Bridgeport (33-19) in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m.

7-6 STAC

St. Thomas Aquinas walked it off in dramatic fashion on Thursday, edging Southern New Hampshire, 7–6, behind a clutch seventh-inning hit from Elyse Marcano and another big day at the plate from Trinadey Santiago.

Spartans Build Early Lead

The Spartans struck first in the second inning when Yazmine Garcia lined an RBI single to right field, scoring Santiago for a 1–0 advantage.

STAC broke things open in the third.

After Adriana Coira, Olivia Leon, and Elyse Marcano reached base, Santiago delivered the biggest swing of the inning, ripping a bases-clearing double to left field to put the Spartans in front 4–0.

An inning later, Jordyn Gautier sparked another rally and came around to score on a Nayah Diaz RBI double to left, extending the lead to 5–0.

Southern New Hampshire Storms Back

Southern New Hampshire answered with a massive fifth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and erasing the deficit.

Kaysie DeMoura opened the scoring with an RBI double before Alyssa Abbott followed with a two-run single up the middle to cut the STAC lead to 5–3. Sidney Rose added an RBI single later in the inning, and Tori Christie drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 5–5.

The Penmen threatened to seize momentum, but Emma Grace Popp entered in relief and helped limit further damage.

Late-Inning Heroics Seal the Win

The Spartans reclaimed the lead in the sixth inning.

After Coira reached and moved into scoring position, Santiago came through again with an RBI single to shortstop, scoring Coira for her fourth RBI of the afternoon and a 6–5 STAC lead.

Southern New Hampshire answered once more in the seventh, tying the game on a Peyton Feldman sacrifice fly after an STAC error extended the inning.

But the Spartans had one final response.

Gautier opened the bottom of the seventh and eventually moved into scoring position before Marcano lined a walk-off RBI single up the middle, giving St. Thomas Aquinas a 7–6 victory.

Popp Shuts the Door in Relief

Emma Grace Popp earned the win (17-1) with 2.2 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and one unearned run while striking out four.

Lauren Falk started for the Spartans, working 4.1 innings and giving up five earned runs on ten hits before handing the ball over during Southern New Hampshire's fifth-inning rally.

Key Performers

St. Thomas Aquinas

Southern New Hampshire

  • Kaysie DeMoura: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
  • Alyssa Abbott: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
  • Peyton Feldman: 2-for-4, RBI, R
  • Sidney Rose: 1-for-3, RBI
  • Julianna Colbert: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Kayla O'Boyle: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 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 vs. #3 St. Thomas Aquinas - 10 a.m.
Game 4: #7 Bridgeport vs. #6 So. New Hampshire - 12:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser - 3 p.m.

Saturday, May 16
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner - 12 a.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner - 2:30 p.m.