HAYWARD, Calif. – Clutch hits and dominant pitching led the Dominican University of California softball team to a doubleheader sweep at Cal State East Bay on Sunday.
 
The non-conference results improve the Penguins' overall record to 21-27 while the Pioneers fall to 26-22.
 
Dominican scored three runs in the seventh to pull off a dramatic 3-0 victory in the first game. Then the Penguins rallied for another 3-0 win in the second contest as senior Katelyn Harden kept a no-hitter through six innings and finished with a one-hit shutout.
 
Gaby Katafias was nearly as dominant in the first game, also posting a complete-game shutout with just five hits allowed.
 
Up next for Dominican will be a 12 p.m. road doubleheader at Holy Names on April 29.
 
Game One: Penguins 3, Pioneers 0
 
The two squads remained scoreless until the seventh inning, when the Penguins put together the decisive three-run rally.
 
Dahlen Dennis led off with a single through the left side and then Catlyn Cavender reached on an error, one of three committed by East Bay in the game.
 
Harden contributed an RBI single and Haley Cheek followed with a sacrifice bunt. That put Dominican in a position to score more, which they did with an Alexis Chinchilla single that brought in two more runs.
 
The Pioneers put two runners on base in their final at-bat but Katafias worked out of the jam to complete the shutout.
 
Game Two: Penguins 3, Pioneers 0
 
The Penguins used the long-distance hits in the second game, getting their first two runs off homers. Cavender and Harden provided solo blasts in the fourth inning, giving Dominican a 2-0 edge.
 
The visitors extended their lead in the sixth with a two-out rally. Cheek started it with a single and later scored on a McKenzie Schumacher hit.
 
Harden took a no-hitter through six innings before the Pioneers earned a leadoff single. Harden kept East Bay scoreless to preserve the 3-0 score.