Flushing, NY | The College of Staten Island Softball team took a swing at history this afternoon, getting by Queens College as part of East Coast Conference play in a doubleheader by scores of 6-0, and 9-4.  For the Dolphins, it was their first-ever conference wins in program history, and the first wins for new Head Coach Eric Kraut.  CSi steadied to 2-2 overall and in ECC play, while Queens, playing in their 2021 opener today, fell to 0-2 overall and within the conference.

GAME ONE
Renewing a rivalry that lay dormant for nearly 24 years, Queens and CSI picked up on the series in a great opening game that featured a pitcher's duel between CSI's Emily Koerick and QC's Emma Wimmer.  The two teams scratched back-and-forth, getting base runners nearly every inning, but each time, the pitching was there to close the door.

The Knights managed to put Marisa Sagona on base in the second on a lead-off single and she advanced to third on a pair of Koerick wild pitches.  But the sophomore hurler induced a pair of harmless groundouts and a strikeout to curb the threat.   In the top of the third, CSI then threatened putting runners at second and third with two outs after a Samantha Macpherson double, but Wimmer came up big by getting Claudia Porcaro to pop out to end the threat.  From there, the game stayed quiet until the fifth inning.

Elizabeth Moore got things started for CSI with a lead-off single, and after being moved over to second via sacrifice, MacPherson was walked and then after Wimmer secured an out, CSI made the most of a big QC error, as Isabel Gallo reached base and Moore came in to score the unearned run to give CSI a 1-0 lead.  Koerick got through a routine fifth and sixth inning in her turn in the circle and then CSI added some big insurance runs in their turn of the seventh.  

Koerick started the frame by helping her own cause, scoring an infield hit and then stealing second base.  MacPherson popped in a single to right field that easily scored Koerick to double CSI's lead.  Porcaro and Jaclyn Kateridge then scored singles in between an out to load the bases, and then Wimmer accidently plunked Victoria Whalen to force in a run to make it 3-0.  Jessica Carreon forced in another run with an RBI-ground out, and then Moore hit a crusher to center, scoring two runs to cap the scoring at 6-0.

That proved more than enough insurance for the CSI defense, and despite allowing a hit and a walk in the bottom half of the inning, CSI preserved the shutout to take their first win as an official ECC member, 6-0.  The final line for Koerick in the win was a complete-game four-hitter, allowing only two walks while fanning 10.  Wimmer went the distance in the loss, allowing eights hits, six runs (five earned) with four walks and five strikeouts.  Moore led teh Dolphins at the plate, going 3-4 in the leadoff role, scoring two RBI and one run scored.  MacPherson went 2-4 in the opener, getting on-base a third time via a walk, with an RBI and a run scored as well.

GAME TWO
Unlike the opener, the runs came early for the Dolphins in game two, and then the visitors side-stepped a late Queens rally to take a 9-4 victory and finish their day with the two road wins.  Queens started the second game with Arianna Fracchioni in the circle and she was touched for a pair of early runs.  Koerick got things started with a one-out single, and she then advanced to third on a MacPherson double.  Porcaro followed up with a liner to center that chased in Koerick, and then Gallo hit a sac fly to chase in MacPherson to stake CSI to a 2-0 lead after a half inning.

The lead was welcomed by CSI starter Jaclyn Kateridge, and even though the sophomore surrendered a run in her turn of the first, CSI was still up after the frame.  The Knights got their run on a Danielle D'Angelo sac fly that brought in Noelle Bryggman, who opened up with a lead-off single.  

CSI's lead grew much bigger in the next frame.  Whalen opened by walking, and was sacrificed over before Gorret Komuhendo doubled her in to make a 3-1 game.  Moore then walked, and after registering an out, MacPherson continued her torrid day with a three-run blast to left field that gave CSI a commanding 6-1 lead.  For MacPherson, it was her second career homerun.  Despite surrendering a lead-off double in the second, Kateridge retired the Knights in order in the second, and it was the first of four-straight scoreless innings she would toss.  Likewise, CSI stayed quiet and the game stayed 6-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.  

That's when Queens made its move.  Sagona started off with a one-out single, and then with two outs and runners at the corners, QC got closer on a Riley O'Connor double that scored Sagona to make it 6-2.  Alyssa Wilkinson was up next, and she blasted a grounder through the left side to score both O'Connor and Jessica Hickey to make it a 6-4 game.  Kateridge would induce a pop out to end the threat but QC was officially back in the game with an inning to go.

CSI came up big, however, in their turn of the seventh, getting those runs back.  MacPherson was again clutch, starting the inning off with a single, and then Porcaro followed by blasting one over the left field wall for her sixth career homer, instantly doubling CSI's lead to 8-4.  After two recorded outs, it was then Whalen's turn, as she towered a homer to center field to make it a 9-4 game, and CSI was again comfortably ahead.

That proved enough for Kateridge, who closed the game out by retiring the Knights in order.  She would yield nine hits in the game, not having walked a batter.  For Fracchioni in the loss, she surrendered 10 hits, walked three and struck out a trio.  CSI's three homeruns in the game were one shy of a CSI single game record, done previously five times.  CSI was led at the plate by MacPherson's four hits, adding three RBI and three runs scored.  Porcaro went 2-4 at the dish with an equal three RBI.  Queens got two hits each from Bryggman, Sagona, and Wilkinson.

Now 2-2, CSI will be back in action on Tuesday, April 6, when they travel to face Molloy College in an ECC doubleheader beginning at 3:30 PM in Rockville Center, NY.  With the wins over Queens, CSI evened the overall series with Queens at two games apiece.  The two teams will meet again on April 17 for a doubleheader at the College of Staten Island.