In their penultimate doubleheader before the start of their postseason, the College of Staten Island women’s softball squad scored a pair of wins over New Jersey City University as part of non-conference play in Jersey City. Twice canceled due to rain, CSI won the opener, 3-0, before scoring a 15-11 win in the second game on the twinbill. CSI ran their overall record to 25-10, while the Gothic Knights fell to 3-33 overall.
The Dolphins got up early in the opener, and then rode the arm of Nicolette Trapani in the circle, as the freshman tossed a complete-game, two-hit, shutout, fanning eight in the game one victory.
CSI’s first run came in unearned in the first, and in the second frame CSI added another unearned marker against NJCU starter Brittany Paulikas. Danielle Locke started the inning off by reaching on an error, and after stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout, was plated by an Elizabeth Travieso single. While Trapani worked efficiently, the Dolphins added insurance in the fifth inning. Brittany Smith stroked a two-out single, and after stealing second, was brought in on a Christina Tufano hit.
That all proved to be enough for Trapani, who retired 9 of the last 10 batters she faced in order to preserve victory. CSI out-hit the Knights, 4-2, with no one on either side positing a multi-hit game.
Game two featured a lot more offense, to the tune of 26 total runs and 27 combined hits, and CSI was on heavier side of the barrage. CSI went on the offensive early against NJCU starter Ashley Latushko, plating two runs in the first on hits by Tufano and Locke to bring in Kristy Colangelo and Smith, who led off with back-to-back walks. Trapani started game two for CSI and after getting out of the first, the Dolphins gave her a 3-0 lead in the second frame via a NJCU error.
CSI ballooned their lead to 7-0 in the fourth inning, chasing Latushko for Paulikas. NJCU then chipped away on CSI reliever Alexandra Conanan, highlighted by back-to-back doubles from Cristina Otero and Thalia Garcia, to close to 7-4 at the end of four innings. Trapani would come back into the game to pitch in the fifth and settled things from there as CSI continued to pour on the insurance runs.
CSI erupted for three runs in the fifth, powered by a Colangelo two-run homer that scored Desiree Vazquez, who pinch-ran for Travieso. Moving ahead to the seventh, Colangelo reached base again and then Tufano belted a two-run homer to make it 12-4, and Chyanne Gilliam then went yard to make it 13-4. CSI added two more runs to make it 15-4, seemingly in cruise control, but NJCU had other plans, erupting for seven seventh-inning runs to make for a wild finish. All seven runs in the inning were unearned, as the Gothic Knights did all their damage with two outs and after a fielding error. Jazz Randall belted a two-run single in the inning, which also featured a total of three runs coming home by way of wild pitch or passed ball.
Trapani got another win, going six frames, yielding seven runs (none earned) on seven hits fanning three. Latushko got the loss, going 3-1 innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on eight hits. CSI scattered 16 hits in the game, which included a 3-5 performance from Maxine Jasko with two runs scored, and a 2-4 performance from Tufano, who added four RBI and three runs scored.
CSI will return to action tomorrow for their home finale, taking on St. Joseph’s College (LI) at 5pm for a doubleheader at the CSI Softball Complex.
