LANTANA, Fla.  – St. Thomas Aquinas College scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings and went on to a 4-2 non-conference baseball victory over Felician University during the Palm Beach Challenge on Friday night at the Santaluces Athletic Complex. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-8) claimed the win despite being outhit, 10-5.

Junior Levis Aguila (Miramar, Fla.) and sophomore Colby Johnson (Frederick, Md.) had two hits apiece for Felician (3-9).

The Golden Falcons, the designated away team, took a 2-1 lead on a run-scoring single by freshman catcher Luis De La Cruz (Jersey City, N.J.) during the top of the third inning. But Felician never scored again, stranding five runners and having two more erased on the basepaths over the final six frames.

Felician limited STAC to one tying run after the Spartans loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. But STAC pitchers continued to buy time for their offense, and in the seventh, Matthew Johnson (Plantation, Fla.) drew a one-out walk, stole second base, moved up on a groundout, and scored on a Felician error. Johnson added an RBI single in the eighth.

Felician put two runners on with one out in the ninth, but had a runner thrown out at the plate on Nick Vincelli's (Waretown, N.J.) pinch-hit single. Reliever Justin Baeyens (Lynbrook, N.Y.) then recorded a strikeout to complete the save.

Matthew Johnson was on base four times for STAC, scoring two runs and driving in two. Mark Barillas (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned the victory with 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief work. Golden Falcon starting pitcher Ralph Gambino (Manalapan, N.J.) struck out seven batters, including six consecutively, and gave up one earned run on four hits in 4 1/3 innnings of work.

Felician plays at Barry University on Monday at 6 p.m. in Miami Shores, Fla. The Golden Falcons meet STAC again on Tuesday at noon in Lantana.