SPARKILL, N.Y. – The D'Youville University softball team took down #1 St. Thomas Aquinas College twice on Saturday to claim the ECC Championship.
 
D'Youville 5, St. Thomas Aquinas 1
 
The Saints got off to a scorching start in game one. Senior Emily Przybysz (Hamburg, N.Y.) reached on an error to lead off the game and senior Gianna Adamo (Lockport, N.Y.) singled to put runners at first and second. DYU then executed a double steal and Przybysz came all the way around to score on an errant throw to put them ahead 1-0.
 
Freshman Annie Jorgenson (Victoria, B.C.) drew a walk and junior Summer Clark (Williamsville, N.Y.) laced a double into left center field to plate the second run of the inning. Senior Laura Beck (Clifton Park, N.Y.) followed with a two-run double to make it 4-0 and knock out the Spartans' starter before an out was recorded. They weren't done, though, as junior Shannon Howes (Palgrave, Ontario) doubled to score Beck and give the Saints a 5-0 lead before STAC had come to bat.
 
Clark got the start on the mound for the Saints and worked around a base hit in the bottom of the first to toss a scoreless frame and then retired the side in order in the bottom of the second to keep the Spartans off the board. In the top of the third, Clark led off the inning with a single as DYU looked to tack on, but a double play ended the threat.
 
Clark ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third after a single and a walk placed runners at first and second with two outs, but she induced a popup to keep STAC at bay. In the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans got the leadoff runner on and stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs, but once again Clark bent but didn't break, retiring the next three batters to keep the shutout intact.
 
The Saints had an opportunity to tack on some insurance runs in the top of the sixth when Beck doubled and freshman Gabby Moreno (San Diego, Calif.) singled with one out, but the next two batters couldn't bring them in and the score remained 5-0.
 
STAC finally got to Clark in the bottom of the sixth, as a two-out solo home run cut DYU's lead to 5-1, but Clark bounced back to retire the next hitter and end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, a pair of singles put runners at first and second with just one out for the Spartans, but Clark induced a ground ball double play to seal the 5-1 victory and force a winner-take-all game seven.
 
D'Youville 1, St. Thomas Aquinas 0
 
Senior Sarah Parzych (Getzville, N.Y.) got the ball in game seven for the Saints. After STAC drew a leadoff walk, the runner was called out for leaving early and the next two batters were retired to end the top of the first. Przybysz set the table in the bottom of the first with a base hit to center, but the next three batters couldn't bring her around to score and the game was scoreless heading into the second inning.
 
The Spartans leadoff hitter singled into right center to begin the top of the second, but Beck cut her down at second when she tried to stretch it into a double. Parzych allowed another base hit to the next hitter, but got the next two out to keep them off the board.
 
After Beck drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Moreno, Howes brought her home with a sacrifice fly to put the Saints in front 1-0. For the third straight inning, STAC got their leadoff batter on base, but once again Parzych was able to keep them out of the run column, retiring the next three batters.
 
Parzych mowed down the Spartans' lineup from then on, setting them down in order in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to put DYU three outs away from the title. The Saints tried to give Parzych more of a cushion in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases on a single from Przybysz, a walk from Jorgenzon, and an error with two outs, but they were unable to score.
 
Parzych made quick work of the first two batters in the top of the seventh, inducing a popout and groundout to put DYU one out away from the championship. Down to their final out, STAC's batter sent a flyball deep into the right center field gap, but it died short of the wall as Przybysz made the catch to seal the 1-0 victory and clinch D'Youville's first ECC title in program history. Parzych was nails for the Saints, retiring the final fifteen batters she faced to shut the door on the Spartans and receive the ECC Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
 
D'Youville will now move onto the NCAA Tournament and await to see who they will face in regionals next week. The selection show is Monday at 10:00 a.m.