MORAGA, Calif. – The Dominican University of California softball team wrapped up its 2017 season with a doubleheader sweep over Holy Names on Saturday.
The Penguins end the season on a four-game winning streak and the team's record settles at 23-27 overall and 18-14 in the PacWest Conference. Dominican took fifth place in the conference standings.
Senior
Katelyn Harden put together an impressive performance in the first game on Saturday, earning the win on the mound with 10 strikeouts and adding a two-run homer at the plate.
Gaby Katafias tossed a complete-game shutout in the second game while
Alyssa Lanza went 3-for-4 to help lead the Dominican offense.
Saturday marked the final collegiate gameday for the Penguins' four seniors:
Alyssa Lanza,
Catlyn Cavender,
Angelina Lombardi and
Katelyn Harden.
Game One: Penguins 5, Hawks 3
The Penguins broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, when a
Catlyn Cavender single brought in
McKenzie Schumacher. HNU bounced back with three runs in the bottom half of the same inning.
Dominican turned it into a comeback win, using the Harden homer to tie the score in the sixth and then adding two more runs in the top of the seventh.
The go-ahead rally was initiated by a four-pitch walk to Cavender.
Dahlen Dennis followed with a single and then
Karitza Reyes delivered with a clutch, two-run single. The Hawks managed to work out of the jam after that but the damage was already done.
The potential winning run came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh but Harden closed the door on the 5-3 victory. Harden pitched the complete game, allowing just four hits.
Game Two: Penguins 6, Hawks 1
The second contest featured plenty of Dominican offense early in the game. Lanza sent a double down the line on a 3-2 pitch and that brought Schumacher in to score in the first inning.
As part of a four-run inning in the second,
Mady Christensen knocked a 3-2 pitch for a solo homer to get things started. Continuing the trend of timely hitting, Cavender collected a two-run double off another 3-2 pitch to give Dominican a 4-0 lead.
The Penguins finished with 12 hits in the game and despite the Hawks getting on the board for an unearned run in the fourth, Dominican finished with the 6-1 win.
Katafias tossed the seven innings allowing just six hits and one walk.
