Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island Softball team rebounded after an extra-inning loss, to score an extra-inning win against visiting Queens College in an ECC pair of contests taking place this afternoon at the CSI SOftball Complex. CSI moved to 4-8 overall and in the conference, while Queens moved to 2-8 overall and in the ECC.
GAME ONE
The Dolphins and Knights were deadlocked in an even battle that would ultimately take an extra frame to settle. Starting pitchers Emma Wimmer and
Emily Koerick worked quickly in the early innings, squeezing out of a few jams as the teams combined to leave five runners on base in the first innings.
Queens hit the scoring column first, as Cyarra Alvardo got things started with a one-out double that was followed by a walk issued to Danielle D'Angelo. Leading hitter Marisa Sagona then laced a base hit that would score Alvarado, advancing D'Angelo to third. She would then come in on a Ann Grimshaw single before Sagona was called out at the plate and Koerick struck out Alyssa Wilkinson, to end the inning down only 2-0.
CSI went quietly in the third, but in the fourth, after Koerick retired the Knights 1-2-3 in the top half, the Dolphins got even.
Samantha MacPherson started with a single and was promptly played by an
Isabel Gallo double. She would advance to third on a throw that came into home plate, and Gallo was chased in moments later on a
Claudia Porcaro sac fly.
Both teams threatened before the game moved to extra innings. Queens stranded two runners in the fifth, and CSI couldn't make the most of a MacPherson double in the bottom half. Both teams got a runner again to second base but again, Wimmer and Koerick posted big inning-ending strikeouts to thwart those threats. In the seventh, CSI had a golden opportunity to win it when Koerick started with a hit and advanced to second via sacrifice. MacPherson would single to put two runs on, but Wimmer responded again with a strikeout and harmless pop out to end the frame.
That meant extra innings and that's when QC struck. Sagona started by legging out an infield single, but was kept at first as CSI's defense registered two outs. Jenny Murphy then hit the game-winning shot, a triple down the right field line that scored Sagona to make it 3-2. For extra measure, Jessica Hickey would double in Murphy, making it 4-2.
CSI did not go quietly in the eighth, as
Jaclyn Kateridge opened with reaching via error, and after an out was recorded, both
Jessica Carreon and
Gorret Komuhendo both were walked, loading the bases with one out. Wimmer reached back for more magic and found it, getting Koerick to line out to third base, and
Elizabeth Moore to send a lined shot caught in left field, ending the game 4-2 in QC's favor.
Wimmer struck out six Dolphins batters in the win, while Koerick fanned 10 in the loss. CSI did out-hit the Knights, 9-6, with MacPherson going 4-4 with a run plated. Kateridge went 2-4. On Queens' end, Sagona would finish 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
GAME TWO
One great game deserved another, and the two teams delivered in game two, what could be summed up as a wild affair.
Every inning but the seventh saw runs, starting with the first, when QC put up a three-spot on starter
Nicole Rivera. After walking a pair, Rivera gave up an RBI-single to Grimshaw and the a two-RBI single to Hickey to make it 3-0. As they would all game, CSI responded, getting a run across against QC starter Arianna Fracchioni, when Gallo singled in Moore, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning that erased Koerick who led off with a single.
CSI came all the way back in the second inning.
Victoria Whalen reached on an error, and after Carreon was walked, Koerick smacked a two-RBI triple to left center, tying the score. Moore then picked up Koerick with a base hit, as CSI took their first lead of the game at 4-3 before Fracchioni settled down to end the frame.
The Dolphins would add to the lead an inning later, this time using two QC errors to help scratch out two runs, taking a 6-3 lead.
Held scoreless for two-straight innings, QC needed a response and got it in their turn of the fourth. Alvarado highlighted the frame with a two-RBI double and then Sagona continued her terrific day with an RBI single scoring Alvarado to tie the score at 6-6. Kateridge would then come in to pitch, but after surrendering the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth, the Dolphins made a series of lineup changes, ultimately putting Koerick back in to pitch. She would record the outs in the frame but QC had taken control at 7-6.
From there, each half-inning saw lengthy delays as the teams visited with the umpires to determine the validity of the lineup. CSI used the bottom of the fifth to take back the lead again. Gallo's infield single tied the game, scoring Koerick, and then Porcaro followed with a hit to score MacPherson to make it 8-7 in CSI's favor. A sac fly for Koerick then made it 9-7.
After more delays, Queens used the sixth to get even. Sagona started the frame with a single and then an advance to second via an error. After advancing to third on a fly out, she would then race home on a wild pitch. Murphy was then walked and was advanced to second. She would then score on another CSI error, and just like that, the score was again tied, 9-9.
In the seventh both teams threatened. Things looked dire for CSI as QC loaded the bases in their turn of the frame, but Koerick got Murphy to harmlessly pop out to end the frame. Wimmer, who had come on to replace Fracchioni, allowed a one-out hit but was otherwise perfect, sending the game to extra innings again.
CSI committed another error that allowed Noelle Bryggman to get on base but that threat was averted and CSI came up to take their hacks in the eighth.
Victoria Whalen got things started with a double to left center field, and after recording an out, Komuhendo singled to get Whalen over to third base. Koerick then hit a ground ball and the play at the plate was not in time, as Whalen beat the tag and scored the win for CSI, their third over Queens this season.
Koerick got the win in 3.2 innings of relief, allowing one earned run on two hits. Wimmer took the loss in 3.0 innings of relief. CSI out-hit QC again, this time 14-12. Gallo went 4-5 at the dish with two RBI, while MacPherson went 2-5 with an RBI and run scored. Koerick went 2-4 with four RBI and two runs plated. Bryggman and Sagona each tallied three hits for the visitors, combining for two RBI and three runs scored.
CSI will next travel to Mercy College to finish their season series with the Mavericks in Dobbs Ferry, on Tuesday, April 20, beginning at 2:30 PM.
GAME VIDEO
