Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Freshman Alyssa Waltman and junior Dahlen Dennis led Dominican softball in a doubleheader sweep of Antelope Valley Saturday at Penguin Field. The Penguins (4-8) won the first game 9-1 before taking the second 3-2 in extra innings.
 
Waltman was 2 for 2 with four RBI and two home runs in the first game, while Dennis collected a game winning home run in the first and added a walk-off sacrifice fly in a 2 for 6 day from the plate. Gaby Katafias collected victories in both games, allowing one earned run and five hits in eight innings.
 
Dominican never trailed on the day as McKenzie Schumacher led off the game with a single to short stop and advanced to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch. Karitza Reyes walked and Schumacher came home on the ensuing double steal to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
 
Amanda Cooley was aggressive on the base paths for the Pioneers (2-8) to tie the game in the top of the second, sliding underneath the tag at home to beat out a potential double play on a ground out to third. Waltman took control for Dominican in the bottom of the inning, leading off with a solo shot down the left field line to give the Penguins back the one run lead.
 
Waltman then broke the game open in the third. With two runners on, Waltman sent a 1-0 pitch over the left-field fence again to make it 5-1. Emily Ginn laid down a perfect squeeze bunt in the bottom of the fifth to bring home Waltman from third to start a 3-run inning that put Dominican within a run of the victory.
 
Dennis answered the call in the first at bat of the bottom of the sixth, sending a ball over the left-field fence for the game winning home run.
 
Karitza Reyes picked up where the Penguins left off in the first game with a solo-shot to left center to open the scoring in the second game. Lauren Persi was fantastic from the circle, allowing only four base runners in the first five innings.
 
Persi then sent a line drive to the fence in center to lead off the bottom of the fifth and Alyssa Ramirez brought home pinch-runner Vannessa Porto from third with a sacrifice fly to right center for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Pioneers were able to capitalize on Dominican errors in the final two innings to mount a comeback. With runners on first and second, Chelsea Phillips singled up the middle and a misplayed ball in center allowed Erika Romero to round third and cut the deficit to one.
 
Another error put the lead batter on for Antelope Valley in the top of the seventh and the Pioneers loaded the bases with one out. Alissa Villa tied the game on the next at bat after an errant throw to the plate. Katafias sat down the next two batters to send the game to extra innings.
 
Antelope Valley threatened again in the eighth inning after Chelsea Phillips was hit by a pitch and Kathy Perscheid singled through the left side to load the bases. The Penguins were able to get the force out at home on the next two batters, and Schumacher caught a shallow fly ball for the final out to give the Penguins a chance at victory in the bottom of the frame.
 
Reyes was placed on second as part of the international tie-breaker to start the inning and Alyssa Ramirez put down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to third. Dennis then sent a long fly ball to the fence in left field, allowing Reyes to tag and come home on the walk-off sacrifice fly.
 
Dominican will open conference play Monday against Academy of Art in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Mission Blue Field in Brisbane, California. Live stats will be available online.