DOLPHIN WOMEN SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER WITH NJCU

The College of Staten Island women’s softball team was able to come back in the opening game of a doubleheader and offer up a split of against New Jersey City University in a non-conference twinbill played earlier this afternoon at the CSI Softball Complex.  CSI overcame an early deficit to win game one, 8-3, while the Gothic Knights got even with a 14-6 extra inning win in game two.  CSI goes to 3-9 overall on the season, while NJCU extended to 5-7.

In game one, CSI was able to settle in behind starter Danielle Ponsiglione, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit to take an important home win.  The Gothic Knights pounced on Ponsiglione early, scattering five hits in their big three run first stanza.  Rebecca Satz got the scoring going early, sending home Megan Ginter who started the frame off with a single and stolen base.  Two batters later, Stephanie Gomez laced a triple to the right field corner, scoring Satz, and giving NJCU a 2-0 edge.  Nicole Calixto was next to the plate, blooping in a single into shallow left-centerfield to score Gomez.  Ponsiglione was able to strike Jessica Chandler out to end the top half of the first inning, but not before the Knights pounced to the 3-0 lead.

From there, the Dolphins were able to chip away.  CSI wasted little time, touching NJCU starter Ashley O’Beirne for a pair of runs in their turn of the first.  Kaitlyn Flynn towered a triple to straightaway centerfield to score Brittany Smith for the first run, and later came around to score on a Ponsiglione sac fly after a Stefanie Solari walk.

Both pitchers settled from there, and although there were seven runners stranded on base over the next two and a half innings, no runs came across until CSI was able to knot the score in the fourth inning.  An RBI-fielder’s choice by Flynn forced in Christine DeCarlo, who led off with a walk.

As Ponsiglione worked quickly in the fourth and fifth innings, CSI then struck hard in the bottom of the sixth inning.  DeCarlo and pinch-hitter Victoria Procopio led off with back-to-back hits, and after a Kristi Dillon lineout, up stepped CSI freshman Brittany Smith.  With the infield playing in against the speedy Smith, the frosh slapped a screaming line drive that got through the right side of the infield.  An outfield caught out of position was then victimized, as Smith blazed through the bases and was on her way home by the time the ball was gathered near the warning track, and by the time the ball came in Smith was mobbed by her teammates after a three-run inside-the-park homer, giving CSI their first lead, 6-3.  A Catherine Ebro basehit and a Samantha Tallarine fielder’s choice added more damage, as CSI sent 10 batters to the plate in the five-run, seven-hit inning.  Ponsiglione was able to register three straight NJCU outs in the seventh frame to preserve the win.

CSI scattered 14 hits to NJCU’s 11, with Smith going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

In the second game, both teams got on board right away scoring two runs apiece in the first inning. Megan Ginter scored off of a CSI error followed by Stephanie Gomez’s RBI while Kaitlyn Flynn’s RBI double brought in two for CSI.

CSI took the go ahead in the bottom of the third as Stefanie Solari reached with a double and was brought in by Danielle Ponsiglione’s sac-fly.

Jersey City answered as CSI saw errors in the top of the fifth. After Rebecca Satz got on base with a double, Nicole Calixto’s single up the middle helped her score to tie the game at three. Marissa Bariso then reached on an error that scored Calixto, unearned. Janissa Cardona followed with a single, advancing Bariso to third where she then scored on another CSI error.

The Gothic Knights added one more run in the sixth inning with Jess Mucerino’s homerun over the left field fence for a 6-3 lead.

In their last chance at the bottom of the seventh, CSI went to work. Amanda D’Amato led off with a single then advanced to third on an error. Brittany Smith followed with a single that scored pinch runner Victoria Procopio. The Dolphins didn’t hesitate as Flynn tripled to center to score Smith. One run behind, the Gothic Knights brought Ashley O’Beirne in to pitch. Solari slammed a single up the middle to score Flynn to tie the game up and send it into extra innings.

NJCU struck hard in the 8th scoring 8 runs to solidify their win. With the extra inning rule of placing the last player out on second base to start the inning, Chandler started on second where she advanced to third and scored on a CSI error to start it off. The inning followed with a Ginter RBI single, a Mucerino RBI double, a Satz single, a two-run Gomez single and a two-Gabrielle Rivera single.

With Cathrine Ebro placed on second for CSI, the Dolphins saw three quick outs to end the game.

Solari suffered the loss pitching a complete eight inning game. Mucerino captured the win with three strikeouts.

The Dolphins will be back in action on Saturday, April 7th at 12:00 pm as they face York College at home.