Staten Island, NY | In a pair of tight games under the lights at the CSI Softball Complex this evening, the University of Bridgeport finalized their season with a pair of wins over the College of Staten Island, 3-0 & 6-4.  The wins gave the Purple Knights the ECC Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed heading into the ECC Playoffs this coming weekend, lifting them to 18-6 overall and in the conference.  CSI fell to 5-17, 5-17, respectively.

GAME ONE
Kaite Burawski proved why she is an ECC Pitcher of the Year candidate with a sterling performance in the opener, tossing a complete-game shutout fanning 14 CSI batters.  When she did get into a couple of tight spots she came through, and on the other end, the Purple Knights squeaked out a trio of runs, one in in the first, third, and sixth innings.

Before CSI took their first hacks, UB came through with a run as Kaira Ramon smacked a two-out double, and was promptly plated by Taylor Yates who had a huge day at the plate.  CSI starter Emily Koerick settled from there, but UB had all the runs they needed, up 1-0.

After stranding two runners in the second, UB doubled their lead in the third when Ramon doubled with one out and Yates again drove her home.  CSI went down in order in the next two frames and put a scare into the Knights in the fifth.  With two outs, Jessica Carreon singled and then Gorret Komuhendo walked to put the tying runs on the base paths, but Burawski struck out Alexandria Montella to end the threat.  

UB improved the lead with a double steal at the corners in the sixth, with the steal of home executed by none other than Yates.  CSI would not go quietly and made noise in the seventh.  Jaclyn Kateridge and Victoria Whalen both singled to start the frame, and then Carreon bunt-singled to load the bases with no one out.  After a circle visit, Burawski settled, striking out Montella and pinch-hitter Koerick and then inducing a Samantha MacPherson line-out to end the game at the same 3-0 score.

UB out-hit CSI, 9-5 in the opener, with Yates going 3-3 with two RBI and a run scored And Ramon and Sarah Silver posting two hits apiece.  Carreon went 2-3 for CSI.

GAME TWO
As in the opener, CSI was in a hole before they could take their first swings, as the Knights were able to push across two runs in the opening inning against CSI starter Nicole Rivera.  Yates did it again, this time with a two-RBI double, scoring Meg McFarland and Ramon.  UB then gave the ball in game two to Miranda Hillman in the circle, and CSI was able to get on the board early, as MacPherson took Hillman deep on CSI's first at-bat of the game, well over the left field wall to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

After a scoreless top half of the second, CSI went from grabbing their first run, to grabbing their first lead of the night.  This time, Jaclyn Kateridge poked a single into right field, and then Whalen lifted her third home run of the season well over the left field wall to immediately give CSI the 3-2 lead.  Hillman settled in time to end the inning with no further damage, but her night was cut short, as after another scoreless top of the third for UB, Hillman was replaced by Burawski.  Elizabeth Moore punched in a single off of Burawski in the third but that was all, and after a scoreless fourth, the Knights made their move in the fifth.

McFarland led off the inning with a single, and after being sacrificed to second, Ramon was hit by a pitch by Rivera.  That brought up Yates, who laced another two-RBI double, this time to left field, to give UB back the lead, 4-3.  After Yates was advanced to third, she would then come in on an error on the following play, building the lead back up to two runs, 5-3.

Running out of outs, CSI got closer in the sixth.  Moore started it with a single up the middle, and after registering an out, Claudia Porcaro legged out an infield single to put runners at first and second.  Kateridge grounded out, moving over the runners, and then Moore came in on a passed ball to close the gap at 5-4.  UB, however, got the run back in the seventh.  Kiana Robinson smacked a double, and then Samantha Schiebe smoked a shot to right field that Whalen caught on the run, but Robinson tagged up on the play and came all the way in to score as Whalen fell down while making the incredible catch.

Down 6-4, CSI seemed up against it, but they did not quit and made things very interesting in the seventh.  After registering two quick outs, Koerick came in to hit and singled to left field, advancing a base as well.  MacPherson followed with a bloop back to Burawski that she couldn't handle, leading to an error and putting two runners on base, with Koerick now at third.  That brought up Moore, who was hitting the ball well all day.  Moore posted a long fly ball to deep center field, but McFarland was there to catch up to it and make the catch, ending the game.

Burawski got the win in relief going five innings, yielding one unearned run on four hits, fanning eight.  Rivera took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on 12 hits.  Yates finished 3-4 for UB with four RBI while Moore went 2-4 with a run scored.

CSI will finalize their season tomorrow with a doubleheader against Molloy College at the CSI Softball Complex.  Game time for that DH was moved back to 7:00 PM.

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GAME VIDEO

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