The College of Staten Island women’s softball team was back in action this afternoon, and the Dolphins worked through a split on the road with St. Joseph’s College (LI) as part of non-conference play. CSI won the opener, 4-3, on a late-inning rally, and then dropped the second game, 9-3. With the split CSI went to 15-12 overall this season, while the Eagles are now sitting at 22-13 overall.

The see-saw opener saw four lead-changes, culminating in a late-rally from the Dolphins. SJC scored in the bottom of the first frame against CSI starter Jacqueline Cautela, on a Mallory McClafferty single that scored Samantha Carcano, who earned on via a leadoff bunt single. CSI got the run back, however, in the second frame. Chyanne Gilliam did the honors, doubling in Victoria Procopio. Then, in the third frame, Brittany Smith came around to score after being walked via a Maxine Jasko single off of SJC starter Cassie Martinez.

St. Joe’s battled back and scored two runs in the fifth inning to take back the lead, 3-2. A Carcano single plated Leun, who had walked and moved to second base via sacrifice. Then, with two outs, Carcano came around to score via a Tierney double.

CSI only had two more innings to counter and they didn’t waste any time in the sixth. With one out, Procopio doubled to left field, and then up stepped Gilliam, who laced a homerun to right field, giving CSI the 4-3 lead it would never relinquish. SJC did threaten however, loading the bases in the seventh inning with two outs before Cautela got McClafferty to strike out looking to end the game.

CSI out-hit SJC, 7-6 in the opener. Cautela got the complete-game win, allowing three earned runs on six hits, fanning eight. Gilliam finished 3-3 at the dish with three RBI.

The Eagles would have their redemption in game two. Wasting no time, the home team plated five big runs in the first inning, then added three more in the second inning to take an 8-1 lead after just two innings, chasing CSI starter Procopio for Alexandra Conanan, Meanwhile SJ starter Amada Eremita worked effectively for the Eagles, going the distance in victory.

A Nicole Reda two-RBI double in the first did a bulk of the damage, and Tierney added an RBI-single in the second to pace the Eagles. An RBI-groundout by Stefanie Solari registered a run, as did a fielding error to cut SJC’s lead to 8-3 in the third inning, but CSI could not cross another runner in the game, eventually falling 9-3.

SJC out-hit CSI, 12-7, in the second contest.

?CSI will be back in action on Wednesday against CUNYAC-rivals York College at 3:30pm at the CSI Softball Complex.