Staten Island, NY:  It took the College of Staten Island softball team a pair of walk-off plays in extra frames and a 16-inning pitching effort from sophomore ace Danielle Ponsiglione to score two impressive home victories over non-conference Ramapo College at the CSI Softball Complex played earlier this afternoon. Both games went to an 8th inning, where the International Tiebreaker Rule went into effect. The results were 1-0, and 2-1 in favor of the Dolphins. The wins lifted CSI to an 11-5 mark while the Roadrunners fell to an even 10-10 with the two defeats.

Game one featured a classic pitcher's duel between CSI's Danielle Ponsiglione and Ramapo's Deanna Giordano (Clifton, NJ). Neither team threatened the others top ace as the teams scattered just five hits going into the eighth frame, with neither pitcher allowing a walk.

With pinch runner Deanna Russomanno (Cranford, NJ) placed at second base in the top of the frame against Ponsiglione, Stephanie Jones (Robbinsville, NJ) stepped up, sacrificing Russomano to third. Although in prime position to push across a run, the Roadrunners came up empty as Ponsiglione got Kelsey Higgins (Wall, NJ) to ground out to third base without an advance and Tiffany Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) to go down swinging, keeping the score deadlocked at 0-0 going into the bottom of the eighth.

Needing heroics, CSI finally delivered at the dish. Michelle Ferraiuolo started the inning at second base and quickly got to third via a Ponsiglione sacrifice bunt. Up stepped Amanda D'Amato, who was 2-for-2 coming into the at-bat and was the only CSI player to register a hit in the game. D'Amato wasted no time, lacing her third single to right field, easily scoring Ferraiuolo and giving CSI the thrilling win.

Ponsiglione got the win, striking out three, allowing three hits. Giordano took the hard-luck loss despite pitching brilliantly, fanning seven and surrendering three hits, all to D'Amato.

In Game Two, CSI gave Ponsiglione the ball again and the sophomore was up for the challenge pitching another complete game.

This time CSI had the luxury of getting an early lead, plating a run in the second inning against Ramapo starter Brittany Musolino (South Plainfield, NJ). Kristy Dillon started the attack with a double in the gap in right field, then came around to score on a squeeze bunt by Taylor Falco, after Dillon stole third.

Ramapo got even in the fifth, finally getting to Ponsiglione after 11 scoreless innings. The run, however, was unearned, as Russomano came around to score after taking first base on an infield error. With two outs, Maggie Scarpelli (Wyckoff, NJ) singled hit a hot shot down the third base line that hit the base and singled home Russomano to knot the score at 1-1.

The game then headed into the eighth where the International Tiebreaker took effect. In Ramapo's half, Higgins was placed on second to start and was moved over the third on a Jones' sac bunt. Again though, the runner got stranded. This time Kateyln Flynn made a tremendous play at third base, taking a lined grounder, tagging Higgins who tried to get back to third base and then threw to Tepedino at first to get Fischer for the third out and the inning-ending double-play.

It was CSI's turn, and they were rewarded. Ferraiuolo again started at second base. Taylor Falco tried to sac bunt Ferraiuolo to third base, but reached on a throwing error. Ferraiuolo tried to extend the error and score, but was thrown out at home plate on a great tag play by Ramapo catcher Scarpelli. After Musolino got CSI's Catherine Ebro to strikeout, CSI was down to their final out, and Jillian Graniero delivered with a monster shot to straightaway center. Narrowly missing a homerun by a handful of feet, the shot was enough to plate Falco from first base, giving CSI the 2-1 win on another walk-off play.

Ponsiglione earned the win with another complete game affair, fanning five while allowing the one, unearned, run. For Ramapo, Musolino took the loss, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, striking out seven.

The CSI wins snapped an 18-game losing streak to Ramapo College dating back to 1986. Ramapo returns to action when they host NJAC rival William Paterson University on Saturday at 1:00 PM.