The College of Staten Island women’s softball squad got back to action after a lengthy lay-off, and followed up with a doubleheader sweep of CUNYAC-rival Brooklyn College this afternoon at BC Field in Brooklyn. Idle since last Saturday, CSI improved to 7-4 overall and 4-0 in CUNYAC play, while Brooklyn fell to 7-7, 2-2, respectively.

In the opener, CSI struck quickly, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top half of the first inning off of BC starter Marie Oneto. The Bulldogs responded by touching up CSI starter Jackie Cautela for a digit in their half of the inning, but the freshman would settle from there, allowing only four hits the rest of the way, fanning six en route to the complete game win.

A Christina Tufano double and Danielle Locke seeing-eye single plated another pair of runs for CSI in the third to expand the lead to 4-1, and in the fifth inning, CSI exploded for another three runs to put the game out of reach. Once again, it was Tufano and Locke doing the RBI honors, and Locke would later score herself on a wild pitch.

CSI out-hit BC in the opener, 9-5, but the Bulldogs hurt themselves more with a whopping five errors, leading to five unearned runs total for CSI. Cautela earned the win, while Oneto took the loss, going the distance. Tufano finished 3-4 in the opener with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

The second game of the double was much tighter, although CSI this time around surrendered only a trio of hits. Three errors in the game for CSI this time led to three unearned runs for Brooklyn to cross, and it took a late surge in the seventh inning for CSI to claim the win.

Before that, BC grabbed a 1-0 lead when two CSI errors helped the Bulldogs plate Kayla Hill, who earned on via error. It took some time, but CSI got even and then some with three runs in the fifth inning off of BC starter Amanda Bisz. The Dolphins scattered four hits in the frame. Alyssa Setteducato screamed a two-RBI double to plate Locke and Maxine Jasko, and later came around to score on a Cautela single. But Brooklyn pushed back in their turn of the fifth, starting with a Kayla Hill double allowing two runs to score, one of which was unearned due to a leadoff error. Later in the frame, when CSI should have already have been out of the inning, Samantha Rodriguez stroked a two-out single to score Hill, giving BC the commanding, 4-3, lead with six outs to go.

Oneto came in to pitch for Biz in the sixth frame after Bisz gave up a double to Locke, and Oneta answered the call by getting out of the jam. In the seventh, however, she was not so lucky. Cautela led off with a single and was advanced to second and third after a ground-out and fly-out. Down to their final out, Victoria Procopio drew a walk, and then Tufano hit a ball to third base and the Bulldogs made an error on the play, allowing Cautela to score to tie the game at 4-4. BC had a chance to get out of the inning again, but then Locke hit into a fielder’s choice that saw everyone come in safe, loading the bases. Up next was Jasko, and the shortstop hit one in the infield and rather than go for the out at first, BC tried to go for the out elsewhere and that allowed Procopio to score the go-ahead run. Oneto got out of the jam but CSI had the lead, 5-4.

Down to their final three outs, Cautela was lights-out, drawing three outs after walking a batter to give CSI the thrilling win. CSI out-hit BC 8-3 in the second game, and Cautela got another complete game win, allowing four runs (one earned) on three hits, fanning a pair. Oneta took another loss, giving up the two unearned runs in 1.2 of relief.

CSI is back in action on Saturday, when they host Lehman College in another CUNYAC doubleheader, beginning at 12 Noon at the CSI Softball Complex.