The College of Staten Island softball team took on Baruch College today at the CSI Softball Complex in a CUNYAC matchup for their fourth straight doubleheader. The Dolphins took down their CUNYAC foes, 7-1 and 21-0 to improve to 21-9 overall and 11-1 in the CUNYAC while setting the Bearcats back 7-21 overall and 6-3 in the CUNYAC. Today was a special day for the CSI softball team, they donned their Pediatric Cancer Awareness jersey’s and raised $1,000 for the cause. The Dolphins teamed up with Go 4 The Goal and Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer to make today possible. Today’s honoree was Lauren Lam who is a cancer survivor and has been cancer free for 9 years.
Vanessa Joia had a standout performance today, going 4-for-5 with six RBIs, two runs and a HR. The six RBIs, five of which came in game two, is a doubleheader high for Joia. Following Joia’s lead Tufano followed suit and went 5-for-7 with six runs and five RBIs over the split.
Game 1: Staten Island 7, Baruch College 1
The Dolphins wasted no time getting on the board against their CUNYAC opponents and tallied two runs with no hits as the Bearcats were charged with two errors. The inning would start with Jacqueline Cautela reaching first on an error by Nicole Bellini who dropped the ball in center field. Antoinette Galbo would reach first on what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt however it turned out to be a fielder’s choice as the Bearcats opted to try and get Cautela out at second which would prove costly.
With Cautela on third and Galbo on second Ashley Notaro would hit a ball deep to left field where Kaitlyn Vichas would drop the ball and allow Cautela and Galbo to score for the opening pair of runs in the game.
Cautela, who started in the circle for the Dolphins, was able to take the next three batters down in order to keep her team in the lead. Staten Island would keep the pressure up and tally three more runs on four hits in the bottom of the second. Cautela would double to left field and was brought home by Galbo who hit an inside the park home run, the first of the season, to increase the Dolphin lead to 4-0. The left side of the field saw plenty of action today as Tufano would rip one through the left side for a single. Joia collected her first of six RBIs when she tripled to right field to bring Tufano home and put the Dolphins up 5-0.
The Dolphins are no strangers to being ahead in games and would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 7-0. Cautela had a perfect game going until the top of the fifth where that all got washed away when she would strike Olivia Dellston out but a passed ball allowed her to reach base safely. The Bearcats’ lone run would come when Jessica Piccolino would hit a grounder to Galbo for what looked like a routine double play however a wide throw wound up in right field and allowed Dellston to give Baruch their only run of the twinbill.
Cautela would throw another no-hitter with seven strikeouts in today’s contest and allow just one run to bring her ERA down to a 1.40 and increase her record to 11-4 on the year.
Game 2: Staten Island 21, Baruch College 0
The Bearcats started Cassandra Lagana on the mound in game two, right after she pitched in game one. The tired arm led to an explosion of runs for the Dolphins enroute to their 21-0 rout of the Bearcats.
Nicolette Trapani would get the start in the circle for game two and throw four innings and allow just one hit and had a single strikeout. Trapani was not only lights out from the circle but she also had a stellar game from the dish, batting 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI , and a solo home run, her fourth of the season.
Staten Island started the game off with a modest two runs just like in game one and it looked like we might have a repeat performance. It wasn’t until the second inning that the Dolphins went on a scoring spree.
Trapani would start off the inning with a bang and crush a solo homer over the left center field wall for the first run of 14. The Dolphins really started to take advantage of the tired arm as Kristy Colangelo would hit the third consecutive double which would score Tufano from second. Joia, after just missing hitting a home run to left field she opted to go the other direction and hit a triple to right field. After Gianna DeCesare hit a single to left field the coaches had seen enough and decided it was time to bring in another pitcher. Juliann Gross was brought in from the shortstop position to try and stop the scoring onslaught by the Dolphins.
Trapani would come to the plate for the second time in the inning and hit a single to left field. Trapani wouldn’t be stranded on the bases long as Cautela would triple to right center to clear the bases and continue to add to the Dolphins’ lead. With two outs on the board and two players on base, Joia stepped to the plate confidently and hit a three RBI bomb over the center field wall for her first home run of the year. The Bearcats would finally get out of the inning when Chyanne Gilliam grounded out to the shortstop but the damage had already been done as CSI scored 14 runs on 14 hits and left nobody on base.
The Dolphins had scored all the runs they needed in order to ensure a five inning victory on a beautiful sunny day. CSI would score five more runs in the bottom of the third while keeping the Bearcats off of the board.
Staten Island was efficient all game and would finish game two with 21 runs on 21 hits while neither team committed an error. Trapani picked up her 10th win of the season while Lagana picked up her second loss of the day and moved to 6-14 on the year.
After playing four straight days the Dolphins finally have a break in the action and won’t return to action until Thursday, April 28 against William Paterson University at the CSI Softball Complex at 4:00 pm, a team they know all too well as they defeated the Pioneers in the opening game of the NCAA Regional Round a year ago.
