SOFTBALL DROPS TWO TO NO. 1 MONTCLAIR STATE

The College of Staten Island women’s softball team gave a valiant effort, but fell short in a non-conference doubleheader against Montclair State University, ranked No. 1 in the nation by the NCAA in Division III, played at the CSI Softball Complex this afternoon.  MSU took game one, 9-1, in a shortened five innings, then took a 7-0 decision in the nightcap.  CSI fell to 18-11 this season, while the Red Hawks lifted their record to 36-2.  Despite the losses, CSI scored a big win for the Wounded Warriors, celebrating the organization and raising over $1,000 for the cause.

On the field of play, five CSI errors plagued the Dolphins in the opener, which led to all of Montclair’s runs to cross unearned.  MSU starter Alex Hill breezed by the first two innings, scoring six straight strikeouts, while CSI starter Victoria Procopio was also able to escape the first two frames unscathed before getting into trouble in the third.

Jamie Paulino started the frame by getting plunked.  Paulino was advanced to third via two sac bunts, only CSI could not register an out on either bunt due to errors, loading the bases.  Tara Petrucelli followed with a ground-out that got Paulino out at the plate.  CSI should have effectively been out of the inning, but instead there was a lone out, and MSU made it hurt. Up next stepped Alisha Cumberton, and the catcher smacked a homer over the left field wall for the grand slam, opening up a 4-0 lead.  Procopio would allow three more hits, singles to Hill and Melany Zeller and then an RBI-double to Kelli O’Brien to make it 5-0.

CSI got their first hit in the third by Chyanne Gilliam, but the frosh was stranded on base and MSU started the fourth with another four runs.  Katie Muglia started the frame with a double after CSI committed an error on Muglia’s dropped foul ball just one swing before.  Petrucelli followed a fly out with an RBI single, plating Muglia, and then advanced to third on another error off of the bat of Cumberton.  Hill then walked to load the bases, and Procopio walked Zeller to force in a run.  An RBI-single by O’Brien and a sac fly by Jaclyn Allegretta completed the scoring.

Hill blazed through the first four innings, fanning nine, but CSI was able to register their lone run of the afternoon in the fifth off of reliever Jennifer Skinner.  Christina Tufano started the frame with a double, and Danielle Locke followed with an RBI-single to plate the fellow freshman.  After Locke advanced to third on an MSU error and a wild pitch, she was stranded there as CSI could not register another run, and the game was halted after five innings.

Hill took the win with Procopio taking the loss.  MSU out-hit CSI, 12-3, with the Red Hawks’ Cumberton finishing 2-4 with 4 RBI and a pair of runs scored.

In the second game, MSU was able to take a quick, 1-0, lead after just half of an inning off of CSI starter Brittany Smith.  Paulino started it off with a bunt single and after advancing via sacrifice, was plated by a Dana Amato single.  Despite getting base runners on the first three innings, including stranding two in the third against starter Allison Cullen, the Dolphins could not cross a run, and in the fourth, MSU added another marker to make it 2-0.

CSI was error-free in game two, but another pair of errors in the fifth, opened up the way for another big MSU inning.  Muglia earned on via an error, and a sac bunt, passed bunt and wild pitch later, came home to make it 3-0.  Another RBI-base hit by Cumberton would plate Petrucelli, who walked, to make it 4-0, and later in the inning RBI singles by Allegretti and Paulino highlighted the five-run fifth, making it 7-0.  CSI would not get another base runner in the sixth and seventh frames as Hill and Iozzino combined for three innings of relief allowing two hits while fanning five.

Cullen took the win, pitching four innings, allowing just four hits.  Smith went the distance in the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits, walking three and fanning two.  Procopio enjoyed a great game two at the dish, going 3-3.

CSI is back in action on Saturday afternoon when they face SUNY – Old Westbury in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 11:00am at the CSI Softball Complex.