Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island softball squad earned a split of today's doubleheader in their 2019 home debut against Hunter College.  The Dolphins dropped game one in devastating fashion 4-2 and bounced back with a game two victory, 2-0.  The Dolphins finished the day with a record of 5-11 overall and 5-1 in the CUNYAC while the Hawks wrapped up today's action with a record of 8-7 overall and 5-1 in the CUNYAC.

GAME ONE – STATEN ISLAND 2, HUNTER 4
Alison Meagher got the start for the College of Staten Island having yet to surrender a run in a pair of starts this season.  She came out of the gate strong in the circle, allowing only a single base runner through the first three innings.  CSI was also able to get early run support for Meagher as they plated a first-inning run on a Patricia Riches double.  However, the Dolphins would squander an opportunity to add more as they failed to capitalize with runners on second and third and only one out, settling for only a single run in the opening frame.

While Meagher made quick work of the Hawks for the first three innings, she ran into trouble in the top of the fourth.  A leadoff single followed by an error set up the Hawks with runners on first and second and one out.  Colleen McCoy then hit a weak ground ball to third which was fielded by Antoinette Galbo.  Galbo attempted to tag out the lead runner, but she lost the foot race to the third-base bag and the runners were safe all around.

With her back against the wall, Meagher was able to induce another grounder to third allowing Galbo to come home with the throw and cut down the tying run at the plate.  Meagher then struck out Allyson Bricker to bring an end to the Hunter College scoring threat keeping CSI ahead 1-0.

In the very next inning, CSI found their lead in severe jeopardy once again as the Hawks loaded the bases with nobody out behind a pair of singles and a walk.  Faced with an even more precarious jam, Meagher was able to escape unscathed a second time.  Alana Vezza struck out swinging, Caroline Bibula lined out to short, and Brittney Salvador was erased on a fielder's choice.

Ahead 1-0, the Dolphins doubled up their lead over Hunter in the fifth.  A leadoff single by Jaclyn Kateridge got things started and a Galbo bunt single put two on with one out.  Kateridge was retired on a fielder's choice leaving it to Sierra Kaplanek with two away.  Kaplanek came through with an RBI single to left scoring Galbo and putting the Dolphins ahead 2-0.

The 2-0 Dolphins lead would stand until a tumultuous seventh inning which saw CSI surrender four unearned runs.  The Hawks rally in the final stanza got started with back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt.  With the tying runs in scoring position and one out, Vezza popped up to short bringing the Hawks down to their final out.  With two away, Bibula hit a routine grounder to second which took a late hop and got past Jaclyn Kateridge and into right field, plating the tying runs for Hunter.  Back-to-back base hits, a single and a double, brought home two more giving Hunter a 4-2 lead.

Trailing by two entering their final turn at bat, CSI got a leadoff single from Kateridge bringing the tying run to the plate.  However, this was as close as CSI would come to getting even as Galbo flew out before Riches and Kaplanek each struck out, handing CSI a tough loss in their first home game of the season.

Meagher pitched very well for CSI but was dealt her first loss of the season without surrendering an earned run.  Bibula picked up the win and was also the player who hit the ground ball that got by Kateridge to tie the game.  The top four spots in the Dolphins batting order contributed seven of CSI's nine hits with Kaplanek going 2-4 and driving in a run.  The Hawks scattered eight hits throughout the lineup, four of which came in a seventh inning that saw them plate four.

GAME TWO – STATEN ISLAND 2, HUNTER 0
Following a game one which saw the two teams combine for seventeen hits, the Hawks and Dolphins were locked in a game two pitchers duel through the first four innings.  Jaclyn Kateridge got the start for CSI and did not allow a baserunner until the third inning.  At the same time, the Dolphins struggled to provide their starter run support against Nicole Guzzone who only allowed one hit through the first four innings.

It was in the fifth that CSI finally broke through with the game's first runs, helped in large part by a pair of Hawks errors.  A one-out error put Kateridge on first before a throwing error allowed her to go from first to third on a routine ground ball hit by Erica Olsen who also reached safely.   With still only one out, Alison Meagher would come to the plate as a pinch hitter and deliver the Dolphins' biggest hit of the day, a two-RBI double into the right-center field gap.  This put CSI ahead 2-0, a lead they would hold the rest of the way.

In the final frame, Hunter would bring the tying run to the plate following a leadoff single, but Kateridge was able to keep the runner from advancing any further securing a 2-0 CSI win.  The complete game effort allowed Kateridge to pick up her second victory of the season while Guzzone fell to 1-3 in the second consecutive game where the losing pitcher did not allow an earned run.  In addition to Meagher's 2-RBI double, the only other Dolphins' hits belonged to Claudia Porcaro who went 2-3.

In another CUNYAC doubleheader, the Dolphins will be right back on the diamond tomorrow at the CSI Softball Complex for a pair against conference foe Brooklyn College.  First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 pm.

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