The College of Staten Island women’s softball team fell for the first time as part of CUNYAC play, dropping a conference contest to Baruch College this afternoon, 4-3 at the CSI Softball Complex. The single game saw CSI serve as the visiting team and was a make-up of the second game of a doubleheader that was washed away due to rain this past Saturday. With the loss, CSI fell to 18-10 overall and 9-1 in CUNYAC play while the Bearcats lifted their marks to 11-13, 8-2, respectively, keeping themselves alive in the race for the regular season championship.
Baruch never had the lead until a walk-off RBI-double by Ashley Brandow, scoring Elizabeth Santos with two outs in the bottom of the seventh frame. CSI starter Danielle Ponsiglione was staked with a pair of leads but ultimately suffered the loss, throwing a complete game, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking one and fanning five. Nicole Flint earned the win for Baruch, tossing seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walking and striking out one.
CSI got off to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the game’s second and third innings. Stefanie Solari was plated in the second, getting on via a triple and coming in off of the bat of Michelle Ferraiuolo, who followed up with a double to left field. In the third, consecutive Baruch errors allowed Kaitlyn Flynn to score from second base after she led off with a single and a stolen base.
Baruch equalized at 2-2 in their turn in the fourth, as the Bearcats were finally able to touch Ponsiglione for a pair of runs. With runners at second and third base, Carmen Pagan-Colon blasted a double to right-centerfield, scoring the pair. The teams then traded fifth inning runs. Raechel Strobel plated Joanna Tepedino, who tripled earlier in the inning, via a sac fly, while on Baruch’s side, an Idelissa Lluveres RBI-double did the damage, scoring Santos.
After a scoreless sixth, Baruch struck for the final time in the seventh via Brandow’s hit to deep left-centerfield, her only hit in four at-bats.
Flynn tallied the only multi-hit game for CSI, going 2-for-4 at the dish with a run scored. Lluveres went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored in her half of the boxscore.
CSI will next host Hunter College tomorrow afternoon at 12 Noon in a doubleheader laced with huge playoff implications. A doubleheader sweep of Hunter would position CSI ahead of Hunter and Baruch in the standings and prime them for the regular season title. A split of the games would hold CSI’s one-half game lead over Hunter, but would allow Baruch to reach CSI in the standings providing they win out. A doubleheader sweep by Hunter would have the Hawks leapfrog over both CSI and Baruch in the standings and position them for the regular season championship. When the CUNYAC playoffs start, the top two seeds earn first round byes.
