It hasn’t taken long for the College of Staten Island softball team to make its mark on the 2014 campaign.  The defending CUNYAC-Champions earned a pair of conference honors this week as senior Stefanie Solari and freshman Jacqueline Cautela earned CUNYAC Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.  The Dolphins recently capped a five-game swing in Orlando, Florida, at the Spring Rebel Games, where they finished 3-2.

A first-team CUNYAC All-Star a year ago, Solari picked up right where 2013 left off in Florida this week.  The senior went 0-for-4 in CSI’s opening game, then proceeded to go 9-for-14 at the plate with eight RBI, four runs scored and a pair of walks.  For the week, she posted a .500 batting average, and reached base 15 times in 20 plate appearances in CSI’s final four games of the swing.  The senior saved her best for last, batting 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI in CSI’s 7-5 win over Muskingum University.  Against No. 5 SUNY-Cortland, Solari went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

On top of her exploits at the plate, Solari was perfect in the field in 30 chances.  It was a great start for Solari, who led the squad last year in batting average (.465), hits (59), doubles (12), home runs (3) and RBI (39).

Freshman Cautela had a nice entry into the college ranks this week, making her debut for the Dolphins and appearing in four of CSI’s five contests in the circle.  The frosh was knocked around a bit in her first career start, giving up eight runs on 10 hits in seven innings against Cortland.  But the St. Joseph by the Sea grad settled from there and was nearly lights-out.  The pitcher tossed two straight wins, the first against Beloit College, surrendering a lone run on five hits in six innings, fanning six.  She then scored her first career shutout, tossing all seven innings in a 2-0 win over Geneva College, allowing only three hits.  Cautela then came on to toss two innings of scoreless relief, earning the save in the win over Muskingum.

For the week, Cautela earned a 2-1 record and a save with a 2.86 ERA.  She tossed a total of 22 innings, surrendering 19 hits while fanning 12 batters.  Opponents batted just .221 against the righty.

CSI will open up the home portion of their season on Friday, hosting John Jay College for a 5pm doubleheader at the CSI Softball Complex.