Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island softball team took care of business this afternoon at the CSI Softball Complex for the start of the CUNYAC Tournament. The Dolphins opened the day against Baruch College and won 8-0 and followed that win up later in the day with an 8-0 win over Hunter College. The pair of wins boosted the Dolphins to 22-10 on the year and move them closer to winning their 20th CUNYAC title all-time and sixth straight.
Game One | Staten Island 8, Baruch 0 (6 inn.)
Patricia Riches and Vanessa Jioia came to play for the Dolphins in their opening game of the CUNYAC Tournament. Combined they scored five of the Dolphins’ eight runs in the game and 3 RBI. Nicolette Trapani (10-6) was stellar in the circle, tallying six strikeouts and allowed just two hits in the six-inning shutout of Baruch College.
Staten Island opened up scoring in the first inning of the game, posting two runs on one hit and took advantage of three errors by the Bearcats. Riches’ lead-off double immediately put her in scoring position for the Dolphins. Antoinette Galbo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her neighbor over to third base. Riches crossed the dish when the first of three errors struck the Bearcats. Jioia reached third via back-to-back errors during Jamie Holmes’ at-bat after a routine pop up was dropped. Alison Meagher picked up a sacrifice fly to plate the second run of the inning for the Dolphins.
The Bearcats had no answer for Trapani as she kept the batters guessing and when they made contact it was hit right at a Dolphin fielder.
CSI needed just one hit to score their lone run in the bottom of the second. Christina Cerverizzo battled her way at the plate for a walk and was brought home a few batters later when Riches crushed a double to left center for her first RBI of the game.
Once again the Dolphins would capitalize on errors as Baruch committed a pair which extended the inning, eventually allowing Jioia to collect via a passed ball. After going down in order in the next inning, Jioia stepped up in a big way, putting the ball over the left field fence for a solo homer, her first of the year.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Dolphins needed just three runs to initiate the mercy rule and were able to do just that. Three straight pinch hitters came in for Staten Island and two of the three paid dividends. Nicole Meilak singled through the left side and Taylor Peccerillo moved her to third with a single to right field. Riches scored Meilak with a single through the left side which also moved Peccerillo over to third. Riches would steal second to put herself into scoring position before being moved over to third via a passed ball which scored Peccerillo to put CSI one run away from the mercy rule.
Riches didn’t wait for Galbo to bring her home as she saw an opportunity and stole home to end the game early.
Riches finished the game 3-for-4 with a team-high 2 RBI and got support from Jioia who went 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. CSI also did a good job not leaving their teammates stranded on the bases as they left just four throughout the game.
With the win, the Dolphins moved to the winner’s bracket to take on the winner of game two, Hunter College.
Game Two | Staten Island 8, Hunter 0
Alison Meagher (11-4) allowed just one hit in six innings of action against their CUNYAC rivals, Hunter College, this afternoon in the final game of the day. Meagher struck out a pair and walked a batter in the win.
Leanna Donahue got the start in the circle for the Hawks and was unable to make it out of the first inning as the Dolphins used their red-hot bats to score five runs on six hits in the opening stanza. After facing just eight batters, Donahue was pulled and replaced by Nicole Guzzone. The start of the inning looked promising for the Hawks, recording a double play to clear the bases. That all changed when Jioia hit a hard infield single to get on base. Holmes then brought out her big bat and hit an RBI double to center field which plated Jioia and started the scoring spree for the Dolphins.
Gabriele DeLeon, on her lone hit of the game, tallied her first triple of the season to right center which brought in a pair of runs to put CSI up 3-0. A double by Erica Olsen and a single up the middle by Cerverizzo would cap-off the five-run inning, putting the Hawks in a significant hole to start the game.
The Hawks would settle in and hold the Dolphins scoreless for two frames before CSI found their way back onto the board in the bottom of the fourth. Christina Cerverizzo was productive against the Hawks all day and that didn’t change in what would be her final at-bat of the game. Cerverizzo doubled to left center and would be brought home by a Riches single up the middle.
Hunter College couldn’t claw their way back into the game as they were continually stifled by A. Meagher in the circle and solid field play by the Dolphins. Much like the game earlier in the day, the Dolphins went into the bottom of the sixth needing just two runs to initiate the mercy rule once again. Taylor Peccerillo pinch hit for Cretella and once again the pinch-hit paid off. Peccerillo drilled one to center field for a single to get the Dolphins started in the final frame. A. Meagher continued to help her own cause and ended the game with a walk-off single to center field, a shot that was nearly a walk-off grand slam as it hit the top of the fence.
CSI used 13 hits to score eight runs and committed a pair of errors while the Hawks were held to just one hit and had an error of their own.
Cerverizzo finished the second game 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Holmes ended 2-for-3 with one RBI and a run.
The Dolphins now advance to the CUNYAC Championship game against the winner of Hunter vs Lehman tomorrow which will take place at 11:00 am at the CSI Softball Complex.
