SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The Dominican University of California softball team felt right at home on Sunday. The Penguins were technically at their new home, Penguin Field, but Holy Names was the home team for the PacWest doubleheader, which Dominican swept by scores of 5-1 and 8-0.

Dominican wasted no time at the plate. Kayla Rodriguez began the game with a bunt single, stole second, and scored easily on Tori Johnson's triple to right center. Johnson scored on Leslie Mesa's sacrifice squeeze bunt to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. Samantha Talavera led off the second inning with a home run to right-center field that chased HNU starter Vanessa Pulido. The Penguins added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Catlyn Cavender led off with a homer to right-center field. Sarah Mckenzie, who pinch ran after Talavera singled, advanced on a passed ball and a groundout, then scored on Alyssa Lanza's infield single.

Ashlyn Moriarity scattered four hits over four scoreless innings to earn her first win of the season. Her only blemish came in the third in the form of a Karolanne Tipton's solo home run down the right field line. Kelsey Goodner continued her strong performance and struck out five with just one hit and no walks in three scoreless innings to earn her first career save.

The Penguins looked poised to get another early jump in game two though their first few threats were negated by an HNU double play and a failed squeeze attempt. The Hawks threatened in the bottom of the second after putting their first two batters aboard. However, Katelyn Harden induced a pair of ground balls, including one to Kayla Rodriguez that she threw home to catcher Leslie Mesa for the force out, to leave the bases loaded.

With the momentum back in the Penguins' dugout, the bats came alive with a three-run third inning. Tayler Munoz led off the inning with a single to left center and reached second when the center fielder fell down attemping to field the ball. She came home two batters later on Kayla Rodriguez's squeeze sacrifice bunt. Leslie Mes and Tori Johnson kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles, then Harden brought them home with a double to left-center field to make it 3-0. Dominican unsuccessfully tried the squeeze again in the fifth but still plated a run with another Harden RBI base hit.

A two-out rally in the seventh blew the game open. Johnson singled, then Mesa and Harden walked on eight straight pitches. Cavender took a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for her first career grand slam to give Dominican an 8-0 lead.

Aside from her blip in the second, Harden was sensational. She struck out five while scattering six hits — no more than one in any given inning. She threw her fourth complete game of the season and recorded her third win of the season.

On the day, Johnson went 6-for-7 with four runs and now leads the team in hits (18) and runs (13). Harden went 3-for-3 in game two with a run and three runs batted in to go with her win. Kayla Rodriguez went 3-for-6 on the day with a run and an RBI. Talavera went 3-for-7 with a run and an RBI. Cavender's two hits were both homers and she leads the team with five.

The Penguins will spend their Spring Break with a pair of non-conference doubleheaders vs. No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus on March 10 and 11, then return to PacWest action on Saturday, March 14 at Academy of Art.