The College of Staten Island women’s softball squad saw their season long win streak halted at 9 games today, as they earned a doubleheader split with Hunter College at Randall’s Island this afternoon as part of CUNYAC play. The Dolphins are now 12-6 overall and 5-1 within the CUNYAC, while the Hawks are now 9-11, 7-1, respectively.
Hits were at a premium today in these two games as both teams worked hard to get quality chances and in the end the second run scored in each game proved to be the game-winner. In the opener, CSI sent Nicolette Trapani to the circle to face off against Hunter’s Erika Colangelo. After leaving a runner on base in each of the first two innings, CSI was finally able to scratch out a run in the third, when Christina Tufano doubled home Jacqueline Cautela, who registered on base after a Hawks error, one of three by Hunter in the game.
While Trapani motored along defensively, CSI tallied the game-winner in the fourth inning, this time when Kristy Colangelo tanked a homerun to make it 2-0. In the fifth inning, Cautela came in yet again on a Colangelo wild pitch. Cautela led off with a double and was moved over by an Antoinette Galbo grounder. Hunter, meanwhile, finally got on the board in the seventh inning on a Victoria Slavik solo homerun to lead off. Trapani settled from there, retiring the next three batters to score the 1-0 win. For Trapani, the homerun was the first earned run she had allowed in a game since March 1 – a period spanning 28 innings.
CSI out-hit Hunter in the opener, 6-4, but the Dolphins left six runners on base in the game. Trapani finished with 10 strikeouts, upping her record to 6-1 with a 0.78 ERA.
In game two, Hunter sent out pitcher Sara Beck, and this time the Dolphins were frustrated at the dish throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Hawks registered first with one big hit off of the bat of Briana Monaco, who blasted a two-run shot to make it 2-0 after two frames. The Dolphins pecked away and got a run back in the third thanks to another Hunter error, scoring Kristen Meagher from second base after she walked and was sacrificed over to second. Beck, however, got out of a major jam, when after loading the bases, she induced a lineout to Vanessa Joia to end the threat with Hunter still up, 2-1.
CSI had another golden opportunity in the fifth, loading the bases again with two outs, only to pop out of the inning. Beck would help her own cause in the sixth by singling in a run to make it 3-1, and in the top of the seventh the Dolphins went down in order to score the win for Hunter and ending CSI’s 9-game win streak.
Hunter out-hit CSI, 6-3. Beck fanned seven against six walks in the win, while Cautela took the loss, striking out eight while walking two.
CSI will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, when they face off against Montclair State University on the road for a 1pm, non-0coneferencve doubleheader.
