Postgame Interviews | The College of Staten Island softball team extended their win streak to four in a row this afternoon with a pair of wins over the College of Mt. St. Vincent. The pair of wins also keeps Staten Island a perfect 12-0 all-time against Mt. St. Vincent. The Dolphins improved to 16-8 overall while putting an end to Mt. St. Vincent’s 12-game win streak and setting them back to 18-14 overall.
Christina Tufano came into this afternoon’s doubleheader with 194 career hits which had her tied for first with her former teammate Brittany Smith. Tufano wasted no time claiming her spot atop the record book and with her first at bat snuck one by the first baseman which gave her the record. Tufano would finish the game 2-for-6 with one RBI and a single run. Antoinette Galbo would go 1-for-7 with an RBI but it was her fielding that was put on display today as she made several difficult grabs at shortstop to get the opposing batters out.
Game 1: Staten Island 6, Mt. St. Vincent 1
After blanking the visiting Dolphins in their first at bat the Dolphins made the most of their opportunities and would score two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead early on. Staten Island was able to achieve that early lead via some miscues by Mt. St. Vincent’s fielders. With two outs and Tufano and Galbo on second and third, Kristy Colangelo would reach first on a muffed throw by the first baseman which brought home two runs for CSI.
The next two innings would remain relatively quiet for both squads and it wasn’t until the top of the fourth inning until the fans were treated with more runs. The visiting Dolphins saw their first run cross home plate when Kierstyn Bourdeau hit an RBI single to right field. Mt. St. Vincent would be shut down the rest of the game and were only able to tally four hits in the contest.
Staten Island once again capitalized on miscues by their opponents. Nicolette Trapani would reach first base after reaching first on what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt to advance Nicole Meliak via a dropped ball by Joann Guerra who was covering first from second base. Meliak was able to reach third on the play when the ball rolled all the way to the fence and put herself in scoring position. Trapani would feel gutsy and steal second at the very next at bat. Jacqueline Cautela would record her only RBI of the twinbill when she hit a bomb to right center to bring home Meliak.
The visiting Dolphins would be struck by the error bug once again, Deanna Nardi would fumble the ball and allow Galbo to reach first. Tufano would then continue to add to her RBI total, a record she already owns, after she was walked with bases loaded. Chyanne Gillliam would bring home the final run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Dolphins a total of four runs, on two hits, with two errors.
Cautela would pick up win number eight on the year and would allow just four hits with six strikeouts in through seven innings.
Game 2: Staten Island 2, Mt. St. Vincent 1
Once again it was Staten Island who found their way onto the scoreboard first. CSI was fortunate once again as they filled the bases and scored a run when Trapani walked and brought home Gilliam. The visiting Dolphins were able to limit the damage however with back-to-back outs.
Mt. St. Vincent scored their second run of the doubleheader in the top of the fourth when leadoff hitter Danielle Maffei smacked a triple to left center. Maffei looked like she might have been stranded on third as her two teammates that followed her grounded out. It wasn’t until Rachel Heizer hit a double through the left side that Maffei was able to tie the game up for her team. The visiting Dolphins’ confidence may have been too high after that run scored as Kathryn Dalton hit a single to left field and Heizer was sent home only to be thrown out at home by Galbo who was the cut off for Meliak.
An error would once again rear its ugly head for Mt. St. Vincent which would cost them the game. Kristen Meagher started the fifth inning with a single through the right side and moved to second when Cautela laid down a sacrifice bunt. Meagher would move to third on a wild pitch to put the go ahead run just one base away. On what should have been a routine play for the second baseman, Galbo was able to reach first and bring home the game winning run after the second baseman misplayed the ball.
Staten Island did have a scare put into them in the top of the seventh as Maffei stepped to the plate once again. Maffei hit a triple to left center earlier in the game and this time she crushed one to the same exact spot and almost put it out of the park as it hit the top of the fence and dropped back into play. Maffei would reach third however this team she would be stranded there as her team was unable to bring her home for the game tying run.
Trapani would move to 8-2 overall with the win and did so by allowing six hits with two strikeouts through seven innings.
The Dolphins will return to action Friday, April 22 against NYU at the CSI Softball Complex at 5:00 pm.