St. Thomas Aquinas Enjoys 'Memorable' Softball Season

Press release from STAC:

May 24, 2021

St. Thomas Aquinas College’s 2021 softball season represented a very large step forward in Head Coach Kristen Sullivan’s quest to transform the program into one of the elite in the NCAA’s Div. II East region.

There have been many milestones and memories in Sullivan’s tenacious rebuilding of the program since starting her second term as head coach in 2015, but no moment was more indicative of the program’s progress than the team’s stunning two-game sweep of Molloy College in the East Coast Conference semifinals this season. The Spartans entered the day trailing Molloy 1-0 in the best-of-three series and had previously lost four regular-season games to the Lions. Moreover, Molloy, a perennial ECC powerhouse, held a 48-13 all-time record against STAC since 1999 including a 26-game win streak from 2009 to 2015.

Defying the odds, the Spartans registered 8-0 and 4-1 triumphs to win the series and advance to the ECC championship round for the first time since joining the NCAA in 2001. STAC’s hard-fought 3-2 and 5-4 losses to the University of Bridgeport in the championship series ended the season with a record of 24-12 that included many significant achievements:

- The most ECC regular-season wins (16-8) in program history and the second highest overall wins (24) ever.

- The highest ranking ever (seventh) in the weekly NCAA East Region poll.

- The second straight ECC post-season appearance (2020 season was suspended due to the COVID pandemic) after appearing only once from 2001 to 2018 in 2006.

- The longest win streak (10) in program history that included a doubleheader sweep of rival Dominican College.

“I think this year’s team is the best in program history,” said Sullivan. “We faced so many unique and difficult challenges but we still managed to advance all the way to the conference championship round where we fell short by one run in both games. The two-week safety pause from April 22 to May 8 due to COVID restrictions forced the cancellation of 10 games in the middle of our win streak and pushed many games into a very short period of time in the second half of the season. But we persevered and played our best softball in the playoffs.”

The newest chapter in STAC’s impressive turnaround story was filled with thrilling team and individual performances. The Spartans posted wins over four teams that secured NCAA regional playoff bids including a dramatic 3-2 win over Georgian Court on Emilee Mayer’s walk-off, two-run homer.

Individually, senior Missy Sadler (outfield) and junior Carissa Della Vecchia (pitcher) and were both first-team All-ECC selections while teammates Paige Toothaker (pitcher) and Amanda Castro (second base) won second-team honors.

Sadler finished her career as one of the college’s best all-around females ever based on her excellent four-year careers in basketball and softball. On the diamond, she led the team in almost every offensive category and played brilliant defense in centerfield with several spectacular catches and throws. Della Vecchia was also a two-way star with exceptional play as a pitcher and hitter. She broke the program record for single-season strikeouts (170) while recording a 14-8 record with an earned run average of 1.89. With the bat, she hit a team-leading nine homers and batted .339.

Della Vecchia and Toothaker formed the best 1-2 pitching duo in program history. Toothaker finished 9-5 with a 2.01 earned run average. They benefitted from good defensive play from Sadler, catcher Amanda Schweitzer and shortstop Nikki MacDonald. Schweitzer finished her collegiate career with her best season with a batting average of .336 and many clutch hits to drive in important runs. Both Sadler and Schweitzer joined the prestigious 100 career hit club.

Castro established herself as one of the premier hitters in the ECC. The junior led the team in hitting at a .383 clip with an impressive on-base percentage of .484. MacDonald, Sarah Williams, freshman Tara Hagan, Jai Santiago, Kim Astrologo, Elise Oliande and Rudae Gadson also contributed offensively.

“I am so proud of this group of young women,” said Sullivan. “We reached new heights of excellence in the face of great adversity. Many of our core players will return next season and this year’s success will be a tremendous springboard for the team. The 2021 team distinguished itself in many ways and made an imprint on the record book.”

This press release was produced by STAC. The views expressed here are the author's own.