The College of Staten Island women’s softball team extended their win streak to five games today as they were able to score a doubleheader sweep of New Jersey City University in a non-conference twinbill that was previously rained out on two occasions in Jersey City, NJ. CSI won the opener, 6-1, and then followed with a 10-0 win in an abridged 6 innings. The wins lifted the Dolphins to 28-6 overall, while the Gothic Knights fell to 10-20.
Senior Jacqueline Cautela earned another CSI record today, claiming the all-time strikeout record at the College.
GAME ONE
The Dolphins left a couple of runners on base in the top of the first inning against NJCU in the opener, but after CSI Cautela got through the Knights in their turn of the first, the Dolphins were able to hit the register in the second.
Nicole Meilak started it off with a single and she was moved over to third base promptly on a Jamie Holmes double. After registering two outs, the Dolphins were able to load the bases and Antoinette Galbo laced a two-RBI double to break open the scoring at 2-0. NJCU starter Christina Mezey was able to escape the inning with no further damage but CSI was ahead for good.
In the next frame, CSI added an insurance marker when Holmes posted another double, this time plating Kristy Colangelo who led off with a single in the inning. Defensively, CSI was stout until the fourth inning when a pair of Gothic Knights hits combined with an error led to a run to make it 3-1.
CSI would get the lead back and then some in the fifth inning, plating three runs all with two outs. An infield error put runners at first and third and Julianna Cretella singled home a run while another was able to score on yet another error, NJCU’s third of the inning. Then pitcher Cautela aided her own cause with a two-RBI single, completing the big frame.
CSI out-hit NJCU, 13-4, in the opener as Holmes went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cautela, Galbo and Patricia Riches each added two hits while Cautela improved to 13-2 with seven strong innings, fanning five, setting a new school record for strikeouts with 389. It is the second career pitching record she has set this season, having already earned the career wins record with 58 and counting.
GAME TWO
CSI broke open what was a pitching stalemate in the second game with 10 runs in the final three innings. Before that, though, hits and runs were hard to come by as CSI’s Alison Meagher locked up with NJCU’s Brittany Paulikas in the circle.
NJCU got the game’s first hit in the second, a Julie Squeo triple. But Meagher settled and forced a strikeout and two line outs to end the threat and strand Squeo at third. CSI then responded with two hits in the third, but Paulikas got Ashley Notaro to ground out to end the frame.
After NJCU went quietly in the third, CSI erupted for points in the fourth. With a runner on first and two outs, Cretella doubled down the left field line, scoring Christina Ceverizzo to open the scoring at 1-0. Cautela followed with a walk, and then Galbo laced a two-run single, advancing to second. After stealing third, she was then plated via a wild pitch.
Jamie Holmes had the highlight in the fifth inning, completing a great day with a solo blast to left field that gave CSI a 7-0 lead. While Meagher cruised in the circle in the fifth, CSI put a punctuation mark on the game in the sixth, scoring another three runs this time accentuated by RBI-singles from Riches and Alison Meagher.
The Dolphins out-hit the Knights, 12-5, in the second game, led by two hits each from Galbo, Riches, Holmes and Cretella. Meagher went the fill six innings for CSI, recording the complete game win while fanning four and walking none.
After playing six games in the last three days, CSI will now get a reprieve until Thursday, when they host Drew University at the CSI Softball Complex at 4:30pm for a scheduled doubleheader.
