SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The Dominican University of California softball team earned a split on Opening Day at Penguin Field at John F. Allen Athletics Complex in a 15-10 loss and 4-2 victory over UH Hilo on Saturday.

The Penguins endured a three-hour marathon in game one. After spotting the Vulcans an 8-1 lead through two and a half innings, Dominican's offense came alive in the bottom of the third. Leslie Mesa walked, which brought up Kate Harden, who launched Dominican's first-ever home run — a three run shot — on Penguin Field. Not to be outdone, sophomore Catlyn Cavender went back-to-back with her second home run of the season to make it an 8-5 ball game. A two-out infield single by Caveder in the fourth made it an 8-6 game.

Dominican surged ahead in the fifth thanks to some daring coaching by Sarah Byrne. After freshman third baseman Tayler Munoz tripled home Marisa Cordisco, Kayla Rodriguez presented the potential go-ahead run with her single. Tori Johnson followed with a game-tying single to left field. With Rodriguez at third, Leslie Mesa laid down a perfect squeeze bunt and Rodriguez sprinted home to give Dominican a 9-8 lead. Harden came through again with an RBI single up the middle to make it a 10-8 lead.

The lead proved to be short lived though as UH Hilo sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and plated three runs while the Penguins went through three relievers in the frame. Danielle Pulido's two-RBI double in the top of the seventh put the game out of reach.

Game two breezed along in under two hours and Harden went the distance in the circle for her first win of the season. She scattered six hits and allowed two runs while striking out four. Harden helped her cause with a 2-for-3 day at the plate in game two and drove in a pair.

With the Penguins trailing 1-0, Rodriguez started the bottom of the first by being hit by a pitch for the seventh time this season. She scored on a two-out single through the left side by Harden to tie the game at 1-1. The Vulcans picked up an unearned run in the third to go back ahead 2-1. Dominican broke out for a three-run fifth inning. Alyssa Lanza began the inning with a single down the third base line and Munoz reached on a bunt single. Johnson drove in two with a double to center field, and Harden added another RBI single up the middle.

Harden shut down the Vulcans the rest of the way, allowing just one hit each in the sixth and the seventh.

In addition to picking up the victory, Harden went 4-for-7 at the plate with a home run, six RBI and a run scored. Johnson went 3-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBI. Cavender was 3-for-7 with a homer, a run scored and a pair of runs driven in. Rodriguez had two hits and scored three times. Munoz was 2-for-6 with a run and an RBI.

Dominican faces the Vulcans again on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 12 and 2 p.m. Live stats are available at dominicanathletics.com/live.