2002 CUNYAC / Subway Softball Championship

Hawks Score Second Straight Title

BRONX, NY - Hunter College topped the College of Staten Island by a score of 8-1 to win its ninth-ever CUNY Athletic Conference Softball Championship. The Hawks extended their winning streak to 13 straight games by capturing the title on the field of Lehman College and earned its second consecutive automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which begins next Friday.

Hunter starter Cynthia Cabrera was unstoppable. After hurling a one-hitter against Lehman in the semifinals, a 9-0 win, she held Staten Island to two hits in the championship contest. The freshman pitcher from the Bronx apparently felt right at home on the Lehman campus, which is adjacent to Walton High School where she was a standout prep star a few years ago. Cabrera, who raised her season record to 14-8 and lowered her ERA to 1.67, was a unanimous selection for CUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

“She’s a warrior,” said Hunter head coach Betsy Hipple, now 6-0 in CUNYAC Tournament games over her two seasons at the helm. “Cynthia’s got a ton of fight and a ton of heart. She kept a talented Staten Island team off balance today. She has so many intangibles that make her successful.”

The Hawks (25-11) received leadoff walks in the first two innings, resulting in a 3-0 lead before Staten Island scored an unearned run in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of that frame, Hunter staged a two-out rally that yielded three runs and put the game away. Freshman second baseman Samantha Grabkowitz (Bayside, NY) went 2-3 with two runs scored while rightfielder Shevon Collins (Brooklyn, NY), the leadoff hitter, went 1-3 with two RBI in the pivotal sequence.

Hunter’s 7-8-9 hitters - sophomore catcher Jen Agosto (Brooklyn, NY), freshman first baseman Beth Tuccillo (Brooklyn, NY), and sophomore leftfielder Vana Loukissas (Flushing, NY) - were a combined 3-5 with three walks and five runs scored while their “bread and butter” 3-4-5 hitters went 0-11 in the contest. On the season, that combination of senior shortstop Jezel Rodriguez (Bronx, NY), Cabrera, and junior third baseman Cagla Boz (Brooklyn, NY) sported a robust .440 batting average.

“I said before the game that the bottom of the lineup would come through for us and they did,” said Hipple. “I’m so proud of this effort by the entire team today.”

The Dolphins (27-11) were never able to mount a rally, even in the top of the seventh inning when freshman first baseman Julie Lowe (Staten Island, NY) cracked a leadoff double. The next batter, leftfielder Melissa Quiles (Staten Island, NY), lined a rocket shot down the third base line that was snared by a diving Boz who then doubled Lowe off of second to quell the threat. Staten Island sophomore pitcher Theresa Caputo (Staten Island, NY), now 15-6, was roughed up for seven runs - five earned - on eight hits while walking six and striking out three.

“We have lots of awareness on this team,” added Hipple. “This team has a tremendous amount of innocence as well, and I think that will serve us well next week in the NCAA Tournament.”

Last season the Hawks earned the team’s first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. They finished fifth in the East Regional at William Paterson University by beating Skyline Conference champion Mount Saint Mary.

This year, Rodriguez a winner of six CUNYAC Championships in volleyball, basketball and softball during her career and one in each sport this year, hopes the team can do even more. “We’re very mentally focused and stronger defensively. I think that will help us go farther in the nationals this season,” she said.

			The Automated ScoreBook
                    College of SI vs Hunter College
           May 03, 2002 at Bronx, NY (Lehman College Field)

College of SI 1 (27-11)

E - Saporito; Grabkowitz. 
LOB - Dolphins 2; Hawks 7. 
2B - Lowe. 3B - Tuccilla. 
SB - Loukissas. 
SH - Rodriguez; Agosto. 

College of SI          IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  AB BF
Caputo..............  6.0   8   8   7   6   3  25 33 


Hunter College         IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  AB BF
Cabrera.............  7.0   2   1   0   1   2  23 24 



Win - Cabrera 14-8.  Loss - Caputo 15-6.  Save - None.
WP - Caputo 2. 
Umpires - Home:Chuck Imbergamo  1st:Ellen Perlin  
Start: 4 pm   Time: 1:47   Attendance: 225

Game Notes:
Hunter wins their second straight CUNYAC Softball Championship and advances
to the NCAA Division III softball tournament.                              
Tournament MVP - Cynthia Cabrera