The College of Staten Island softball team overturned a three-game skid with a pair of wins in their home opener this evening, scoring 4-2 & 5-0 wins at the CSI Softball Complex. The Dolphins leveled to 5-5 overall, while the Scarlet Raiders, opening their season, fell to 0-2.
In the opener, the Dolphins were able to weather a four-error performance, spreading out 10 hits against Raiders starter Kelly Yusko. Before any of the offense, RU-Newark got out in front in the top of the first, scratching out an unearned run against CSI starter Jacqueline Cautela. CSI got even one inning later, when Nicole Meliak laced in a single to score Kristy Colangelo, who led the inning off with a triple.
In the third, CSI put across an unearned run of their own off of RU-Newark’s lone error of the game, and later in the inning, an Ashley Notaro single plated Chyanne Gilliam to make in 3-1. The Raiders scored again via error in the fourth, but CSI got the insurance tally back thanks to an infield single by Antoinette Galbo, plating starting pitcher Cautela, who led off with a three-bagger. That was enough for the junior Cautela, who worked out of jams with base runners on, including getting Morgan Walizer to ground out to end the game with the tying run at first base.
Cautela improved to 3-2 this season, allowing no earned runs on six hits, fanning four. Cautela and Galbo each registered two hits to lead CSI, while RU got two hits apiece from Sam Held and Yusko, who took the loss, yielding four runs on 10 hits, fanning eight and walking four.
In the nightcap, Nicolette Trapani had a sterling effort in the circle for CSI, going the distance in the shutout, fanning two batters and allowing just three hits, improving her record to 2-1 this season. CSI got all of the offense it would need in the first inning, using a Raiders error and not registering a hit, as Cautela took off and stole home on a double-steal attempt. From there, RU starter Walizer settled down and both pitchers worked effectively.
That is until the biggest hit of the game came off of the bat of Gilliam, who roped a bases-clearing three-RBI double to make it a 5-0 game in the fifth inning. That came after a Cautela RBI single earlier in the frame.
The Raiders stranded two base runners in each of the last two innings, as Trapani was able to wiggle out of danger. CSI out-hit RU-Newark, 6-3, in Game Two, with the Raiders’ Yusko posting the only multi-hit game, going 2-4.
Up next for CSI will be a doubleheader against the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Tuesday, March 15 at the CSI Softball Complex beginning at 5pm.
