The College of Staten Island softball program suffered their first home loss of the season today at the hands of NYU which also ended their five game win streak.  The loss set the Dolphins back to 17-9 overall while the Violets evened out at 14-14.  Today’s meeting against the Violets was the first of what looks to be a long rivalry that will produce great games in the future.

Jacqueline Cautela would go 2-for-5 over the doubleheader with two RBIs and a run.  Cautela was able to help her own cause from the circle where she picked up her 9th win of the season and did so while allowing just four hits and striking out two batters.  Ashley Notaro would go 1-for-3 in the twinbill and would be left on base all three times she made it on.

Game 1: Staten Island 2, NYU 0

Game one started off with two straight scoreless innings of softball as the pitchers were getting the best of the opposing batter.  Ashley Notaro was extremely active in the first two innings of the first game as five of the first six out funneled through her. 

It was the bottom of the third that the game got its only pair of runs.  Trapani would open the inning with a good battle at the plate which would lead to her taking first via a walk.  Cautela has had a relatively quiet year in the home run department after hitting four just a season ago, however, tonight was the night she would tally her first of the season.  Cautela would sit at the plate and wait for her pitch and when she got it she crushed it over the left field wall for a two RBI homerun. 

That homerun by Cautela would prove to be the game winning run as both teams would shut out the opponents the rest of the way as good fielding paired with good pitching would limit the bats of both squads.

Game 2: NYU 7, Staten Island 0

The second game of the night proved to be a rough night at the office for the Dolphins as they were held to just one hit throughout the contest.

Nicolette Trapani has been outstanding from the circle all season boasting a 1.31 ERA, and a 8-2 record.  Tonight the cards just did not fall in her favor as NYU was able to constantly make contact with the ball and put it into play.  Trapani can’t take all the blame for the loss as her team behind her committed four errors in a game for the first time since March 8 when they took on Rutgers-Newark.  Prior to today’s doubleheader the Dolphins had committed just one error over a four game stretch.
The Violets would continue to capitalize on the Dolphins miscues throughout the game which allowed them to score in four straight innings. After scoring four runs in the first two innings the Violets would add another in the third when with a man on first and third called a double steal and with no outs Elizabeth Travieso threw the ball to second and allowed Stefanelli to steal home to add an insurance run to their lead.

The fourth inning would go much of the same for the Violets as they would score their last two runs before the Dolphins finally settled into the game and blanked NYU in the final three innings.

CSI was almost no-hit for the first time all season but it was Christina Tufano who came through in the bottom of the seventh with a double to right center to make sure the Dolphins weren’t no-hit on their home field.

The Dolphins will return to action tomorrow against CUNYAC opponents York College at 12:00 pm at the CSI Softball Complex.