Stefanie Solari exploded for a 7-for-7 afternoon with a homerun, 8 RBI and three runs scored.
The College of Staten Island women’s softball won their second doubleheader sweep of the season, this time breezing by St. Joseph’s College of Brooklyn in a non-conference pair played at the CSI Softball Complex this afternoon. CSI won both games in five abbreviated innings, winning the first contest 12-0, and the second, 15-3. With the wins, CSI improved to 8-7 overall, while the Bears fell to 7-10-1.
CSI starter Victoria Procopio took the win in the circle in the first game, combining with reliever Stefanie Solari for the two-hit shutout, fanning a trio of Bears. Meanwhile, at the plate, CSI took a 2-0 lead after an inning. Brittany Smith scored after hitting a bunt single, stealing second and third bases, and then coming home on a Procopio sac pop. One batter later, Solari homered, her first of the season, to give CSI to 2-0 lead off of SJC starter Mabel Vargas. CSI took the same 2-0 lead into the third inning before erupting for 9 runs on six hits, combining with a pair of Bears errors to put some distance between the sides.
A Solari RBI-double got the damage started, and freshman Maxine Jasko plated another pair with another double. In her second at-bat of the inning, Chyanne Gilliam singled home another run, as did Smith on another bunt single. Samantha McCauley added an RBI-groundout in the bottom of the fourth to close the scoring for CSI, and Solari got the Bears down in order in the fifth to end the game. CSI out-hit SJC, 9-2 in the opener, as Smith and Solari each went 3-3.
CSI got back on their offensive track in the second contest, giving starter Smith a 10-0 cushion after just two innings. Against SJC starter Jackie Perillo, CSI used a Christina Tufano two-run homerun to punctuate the first inning, giving the Dolphins a 3-0 lead. Six of CSI’s 14 game-two hits then came in their seven-run second inning. Alissa Setteducato tripled home the first run after Jennie Hosty singled to open the inning, and she then scored on a Gilliam bunt hit. Later, with the bases loaded, Solari singled to add another run before Jasko did the same. After Tufano reached on a fielder’s choice-RBI, Danielle Locke ripped another RBI single to help CSI to the commanding lead.
Solari, who had a 7-for-7 game at the plate this afternoon, added a pair of two RBI doubles in the third and fourth to help CSI extend to a 15-0 lead after four innings. Down to their final at-bats, the Bears plated three runs of their own, highlighted by Cassandra Molinari and Danielle Marino RBI-doubles. Smith got out of the jam, however, earning the complete-game five hitter, allowing three runs (two earned) while walking two and fanning one.
With little rest, CSI will be right back in action tomorrow morning at 10am, when they face CUNYAC-rivals Brooklyn College at the CSI Softball Complex. The Bulldogs come into the game 4-0 in CUNYAC play, while CSI boasts a 2-0 conference mark.
