CALDWELL, N.J. – Three runs in the top of the ninth inning allowed St. Thomas Aquinas College to beat the Caldwell College baseball team, 4-3 in a non-conference game Thursday afternoon at the Kiwanis Oval. The Cougars fall to 2-11 with the loss, while the Spartans, who are ranked seventh in the latest NCBWA East Region Poll, improve to 12-8.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, sophomore Thomas Pisano (N. Bellmore, NY/Mepham) doubled home senior Jorge Ynoa (Bayside, NY/Bayside) with the go-ahead run. Later in the eighth, Pisano came home on a single by sophomore Stephen Luczaj (N. Merrick, NY/Mepham) for a 3-1 Caldwell lead.

In the top of the ninth, the Spartans loaded the bases with nobody out, then scored twice on a grounder and a throwing error to tie the game at 3-3. With a runner on third, Mike Russo hit a two-out double down the leftfield line to plate Matt Marotta for a 4-3 lead. Sophomore Stephen Dodd (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) led off the bottom of the ninth with his fourth hit of the game, then moved to second on a bunt by freshman Jack Joyce (Bayside, NY/St. Mary's). But Joe DePool retired the final two batters to wrap up the win.

The dramatic ending overshadowed an outstanding performance on the mound for senior pitcher A.J. Boardman (Sunnyside, NY/St. Francis Prep). Boardman gave up a single in the top of the first, then recorded 20 consecutive outs before coming out of the game to start the eighth inning. He struck out three batters and walked none in seven innings of work.

Dodd was 4-for-5 and scored in the bottom of the first on a double by Ynoa. STAC tied the score in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Hancsak.

Next up for Caldwell is a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader at the University of the Sciences on Saturday, Mar. 24. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.