LAIE, Hawaii – The Dominican University of California wrapped up a successful 7-3 road trip to Hawaii with a doubleheader sweep of BYU-Hawaii on Saturday. Dominican rallied back to win game one, 9-6, in nine innings and took the nightcap 7-3.
After tying game one in the seventh, the Penguins (10-15/8-6 PacWest) capitalized on three Seasiders (7-17/3-11 PacWest) error in the ninth. A throwing error allowed pinch runner
Marissa Cordisco to score the go-ahead run, then
Haley Cheek added some insurance with a two-run double that capped eight unanswered runs for the Penguins.
Shannon Rodriguez started rallies in the sixth and seventh innings with a pair of leadoff doubles. Rodriguez scored on
Emily Ginn's first career homer, a two-run shot, and
Dahlen Dennis made it back-to-back homers. In the seventh,
Sarah McKenzie ran for Rodriguez and tied the game on Dennis' two-out single to right center.
Cheek's second-inning RBI double gave the Penguins the early lead but that become a distant memory after BYU-Hawaii scored six unasnwered runs over three innings. The Penguins scored an unorthodox run in the fifth.
Keely Bowlan drew a walk, then advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball. She scored on an illegal pitch to cut the lead to 6-2.
Game one starter
Angelina Lombardi (2-1) scattered seven hits over seven innings and picked up her second win in as many days. She gave way to
Ashlyn Moriarity in the fourth but reentered in the sixth after Moriarity departed with a sprained ankle.
A six-hit, six-run fifth inning blew game two open for the Penguins. Rodriguez came through yet again with a bases-loaded RBI double that put the Penguins back in front, 3-2. Cavender scored on the next play thanks to the Seasiders' third error of the game, then Dennis blasted a three-run shot, her second homer of the day and team-leading fourth of the season.
Kelsey Goodner (1-5) struck out five and earned the win in a complete-game effort.
The Seasiders put together a two-out rally in the seventh with a run but left the bases loaded. Dominican grabbed an early 1-0 lead thanks to another Seasiders error.
Catlyn Cavender tripled and later came around to score on the error. The lead held until the fourth when BYU-Hawaii manufactured a pair of runs and took the lead on a Kalynn Latu sacrifice bunt.
It was a career day for Dennis, who went 4-for-8 with five RBIs and two runs to go with her pair of home runs.
Dominican returns home to San Rafael for two doubleheaders versus nationally-ranked teams, No. 9 California Baptist and No. 19 Dixie State. CBU visits Penguin Field on Wednesday, March 16 at 12 p.m. and Dixie State comes calling on Saturday, March 19 at 12 p.m. Live stats for both doubleheaders will be available at
dominicanathletics.com/live.
