Tucson, AZ | The College of Staten Island softball team took on Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell College this morning in their final day of competition at the Tucson Invitational. The Dolphins’ woes continued as they lost 4-0 in the early slate followed by a 7-3 loss to Cornell College.  The pair of losses increases the Dolphins’ losing skid to five in a row to drop them to 1-7 on the year. 

Game 1: RIT 4, Staten Island 0

The Dolphins fielding issues continued in their opening game as a pair of errors led to a couple of runs.  Staten Island scattered four hits in the loss while allowing the Tigers to score four runs on six hits. 

Three of the four runs for the Tigers came in the first inning, the inning in which the Dolphins committed their errors. Julianna Cretella tallied two of the Dolphins’ hits getting aid from Patricia Riches and Vanessa Jioia, both of which went 1-for-3. Staten Island left six people on the bases while the Tigers left just three on. 

Down 4-0, the Dolphins had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth with one out. Staten Island had been in this situation all week and struggled to bring anyone home and those struggles continued as back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning with no runs for the Dolphins. 

Nicolette Trapani picked up her fourth loss of the season to drop to 0-4, despite owning the best ERA on the team, 3.97. 

Game 2: Cornell 7, Staten Island 3

Alison Meagher got the start in the second game and pitched well to keep the Rams from running up the score. 

The Rams would be the first team on the board in the bottom of the third. The Dolphins were able to get the first two batters out, however, three straight singles brought home a run.  Staten Island would answer right back with a run of their own to knot the game up at one. 

Antoinette Galbo would pick up the team with a triple to right center to give her team the tying run. Jioia drove home Galbo when she hit a grounder to the second basement, which allowed Galbo to use her speed to reach the plate safely. 

Cornell College continued the scoring spree in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs. With batters on second and third Wichman tripled to left center to bring in two runs. A. Meagher was able to get the next batter to pop out to limit the damage. 

It took two innings but the Dolphins were able to tie the game up once more with two runs. Staten Island used a two-out rally ignited by a Galbo single to right field. Jioia once again brought home Galbo with a triple to right field. Jamie Holmes battled at the plate and would reach first via a base on balls to put a runner on first and third. Down one, A. Meagher recorded her first hit of the season with a blooper over the first baseman’s head for an RBI single to tie the game up at three. 

With two outs on the board, the Rams put together a four-run rally to give them the lead for good. Back-to-back triples by Wichman and Xavier drove in three runs for the Rams which would go unanswered to hand the Dolphins their seventh loss of the season. 

Up next for the Dolphins is Montclair College on Sunday, March 18 in Montclair, NJ for another non-conference bout.