The College of Staten Island women’s softball team upped their season-long winning streak to five games, taking a pair of CUNY Conference wins over visiting Brooklyn College in a doubleheader played this afternoon at the CSI Softball Complex. CSI won game one, 9-1, in six innings, before posting a 12-4 decision in the second contest, stopped after five innings. CSi lifted its marks to 15-8 overall and 7-0 in CUNYAC, while the Bulldogs dropped to 13-14-1 overall and 8-5-1, respectively.
Game one started with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first for CSI starter Danielle Ponsiglione, and in the bottom half of the stanza for the Dolphins, Kaitlyn Flynn smacked a RBI-single to score Kristi Dillon from third to take an early 1-0 lead. Ponsiglione then got five of the next six Brooklyn batters to strikeout while CSI added another four runs in the third highlighted by RBI triples from Joanna Tepedino and Stephanie Solari that boosted their lead to 5-0.
The Bulldogs added one run in the top of the fourth with a sac fly off of the bat of Stephanie Caravello that cut the lead to 5-1. The Dolphins, however, added two more in their bottom half of the fourth with a roaring Diana Stout two-run double to deep right field that scored Dillon and Ponsiglione and pushed the lead to 7-1 after four innings of play. After a quiet fifth inning, the Dolphins wasted no time and scored two more runs. Jenna Schulman pinch ran for Ponsiglione who scored sliding into home on a fielders choice, while Stout hit the game-ending RBI-single to right center that triggered the mercy rule and ended the game at 9-1.
Danielle Ponsiglione picked up the win for the Dolphins, pitching six innings allowing one run, two hits and striking out six. Marie Oneto took the loss giving up all nine runs for the visitors.
In game two, the Bulldogs got off to a quick start loading the bases and scoring two runs with an RBI sacrifice fly by Allison Donovan and a RBI-single by Katherine Fuentes off of CSI starter Michelle Ferraiuolo. But the Dolphins also started hot in their first turn at the dish, rallying for three straight singles that tied the game at two apiece. Later in the inning a wild pitch by Bulldogs pitcher Tara Diesel scored Flynn that gave the Dolphins a 3-2 lead after one inning of play.
The Bulldogs squeezed across one run in the top of the second after a lead off double by Ashley Allen who later scored off an RBI-single from Danielle Maresca that tied the game at 3-3.
After giving up a hit and walking a batter to begin the third inning, ferraiuolo was lifted for Ponsiglione. CSI was able to get out of the inning yielding only a run on another Allen single, putting Brooklyn ahead, 4-3.
Saving plenty for the plate, the Dolphins rallied in their bottom half of the third, scoring six runs. Dillon and Stout each had two RBI’s in the inning while Solari batted in a runner as well. To add insurance, the Dolphins scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, RBI singles by Flynn and Stout sealed the victory to mercy the Bulldogs again for a final score of 12-4.
Ponsiglione earned the win in relief pitching three innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Tara Diesel took the lost pitching four and a third innings while allowing all twelve runs and walking six.
CSI will return to action on Saturday, playing John Jay College at 12 Noon at the CSI Softball Complex. Despite the game being played at CSI, the Dolphins will serve as the visiting team in the games.
