The College of Staten Island Softball unit picked up the first wins in their 2021 season this past weekend, and they will be looking to stay strong, as they continue their road swing with a doubleheader date at Molloy College this afternoon beginning at 3:30 PM.  The games are part of the ECC calendar, and the Dolphins face a Lions team looking to overturn a losing streak on its home field.

COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND VS. MOLLOY COLLEGE
Matchup: College of Staten Island (2-2, 2-2 ECC) vs. Molloy College (9-7, 0-4 ECC)
Where:  RVC Sports Complex - Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Live Video: https://www.eccsportsnetwork.com/molloycollege/
Live Stats: https://molloylions.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary
Spectator Policy:  Limited Seating - Click HERE for details
All-Time Series:  Molloy leads, 10-3
Last Meeting:  April 5, 1998 - Molloy won, 20-1
Players to Watch (CSI):  The Dolphins are being led at the plate by sophomore Samantha MacPherson, who had a tremendous weekend over Queens, lifting her overall season battting average to a healthy .467 with a team best three doubles and a homerun.  She is tied for the team high with four RBI with Claudia Porcaro, who has registered a .333 batting average.  Emily Koerick has also had a sensational start, putting up a .385 average at the dish, and she's been hit by three pitches this year, as has Victoria Whalen.  Koerick is part of a two-headed attack in the pitcher's circle as well.  She is sporting a 1-1 record with a 1.65 ERA, fanning 22 batters in 17 innings this season, allowing just for earned runs on 12 hits.  Opponents are batting just .190 against her.  Jaclyn Kateridge is also 1-1 in the circle, with a 7.00 ERA, going 11 innings in total so far.
Players to Watch (MC):  The Lions have four players sporting an over .300 batting average, led overall by Chrissie Huhn, who is batting an even .400 with a team-leading six doubles to go with 9 RBI.  The RBI leader is Marissa Nicoletti, who has 13 while posting a .357 clip at the plate.  She is tied for the team lead with two homers, joining Courtney Greene with that honor (.318).  Greene is also the leader in the circle, owning a sensational 6-2 overall mark with a 1.25 ERA.  She has allowed just 42 hits through 56 innings, boasting 35 strikeouts.  Tonianne Larson has gotten six starts, going 2-1 with a 3.84 ERA.  Megan McCormack is batting .273, but knows how to get on base, drawing a team-high seven walks.  
News & Notes: Today is the first meeting between the two schools since CSI has joined the Division II ranks, but the two teams have met 13 times previously over a period of 13 years from 1985-1998.  Molloy has won 10 of the 13 overall meetings, including the last six.  Their last meeting came almost exactly 23 years ago.  CSI is just 1-3 on the road all-time against Molloy, and the two teams are playing in Rockville Centre for the first time since 1996.  CSI's last win in the series was back in 1991, an 18-2 win in Staten Island, and their last victory at Molloy was in 1990.  After a tough offensive start, CSI has raised their team batting average to .246, and their on-base percentage to .348, just a few degrees higher than their opponents' .344.  Molloy is batting .299 as a team, holding opponents to just .261.  Molloy is also showing their power, as 44 of their 138 hits through 16 games have gone for extra bases.  Molloy started their season red-hot at 8-0, but have cooled off a bit dropping seven of eight.  Their four ECC losses have come to Mercy College and Bridgeport by a combined 10 runs.