The College of Staten Island women’s softball squad ended their regular season in solid fashion, scoring a doubleheader sweep over visiting New Jersey City University as part of non-conference play at the CSI Softball Complex. The Dolphins took the first game 12-3 in six innings, before scoring a 13-5 win in five innings in the second game. The Dolphins improved to 20-15 overall, while the Gothic Knights fell to 5-33.
In the opener, CSI took an early, 4-0, lead after the first two frames, providing plenty of run support for starting pitcher Jacqueline Cautela. After a scoreless third inning, CSI broke things open off of NJCU starter Ashley Latushko in the fourth. First, Cautela helped her own cause with a homerun to left field, and then, after a Brittany Smith single, Stefanie Solari towered a homer of her own, extending the lead further.
NJCU had an answer in the fifth inning, avoiding the mercy rule with a three-run fifth inning, helped along by a Marisa Bariso RBI-single and a bases-loaded walk to Maxine Kaminski. The Dolphins, however, got the runs back and then some, exploding for four runs in the bottom of the sixth with just one out registered, ending the game prematurely. Solari scored the first run advancing on a throwing error, and then a bases loaded walk to Danielle Locke forced home another run. Jennie Hosty, coming in to pinch-hit then capped the game with a two run single that ended the game at 12-3.
Cautela got the win for the Dolphins, going six full innings, allowing three runs on four hits, fanning six. CSI out-hit NJCU in the opener, 14-4, getting three hits from both Cautela (3-4, three runs scored) and Brittany Smith (3-4, two runs scored).
In the second game, NJCU took an early, 2-0, lead on CSI starter Victoria Procopio, who appeared to leave the game due to a minor injury after two innings. Down 2-0 in the second inning, CSI exploded for a whopping eight runs on seven hits in the frame off of NJCU hurler Taylor Setar. Danielle Locke laid the first boom, a line-drive homerun to left to score Procopio and Jasko, giving CSI a 3-2 edge. Later in the frame with the bases full, Christina Tufano laced a two-run single, and later still, with the bases jammed again, Procopio roped a bases-clearing double to cap the frame at 8-2.
Against CSI reliever Alexandra Conanan, the Knights got two runs back in the third, but after a scoreless third, CSI went back on the offensive again. The team got a Chyanne Gilliam sac fly in the fourth for a run, and then ended the game in the fifth with four more runs. Setar walked the bases loaded before a Solari infield single brought in a run. Tufano followed with a sac fly before Gilliam and Jasko added RBI-singles to put the game out of reach. CSI out-hit the Knights in game two, 12-7.
Conanan got the win for CSI, allowing three runs on five hits through three innings.
The Dolphins were perfect in the field today, committing no errors in either game, only the second time the Dolphins have gone error-free in a doubleheader. CSI committed a whopping 8 errors in two games against FDU-Florham yesterday.
CSI will now await the winner of a single-elimination playoff game between No. 4 John Jay College and No. 5 Lehman College to kick-off the CUNYAC Postseason Championship on Friday morning at 10:30am at Queens College, to usher in the double-elimination portion of the tourney.
