SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican softball rode a big fourth inning in the first game to a 5-3 victory and the University of Hawai'i at Hilo took game two 11-3 Friday at Penguin Field.
McKenzie Schumacher went 5 for 8 with three stolen bases and two RBI to lead the Penguins (13-25, 4-14 PacWest).
Gaby Katafias moved to 8-11 on the year with a complete game victory in the first game, allowing three runs and striking out three.
Bailey Gaspar led the Vulcans (23-11, 11-5 PacWest) to victory in the second game with a 2 for 4 performance with three RBI and a double. Leah Gonzalez earned the victory for Hilo after allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings pitched.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth,
Karitza Reyes walked and
Mady Christensen singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Christensen stole second during the next at bat and a relay throw by Mari Kawano to third went wide and allowed Reyes to come in for Dominican's first run of the game.
Dahlen Dennis followed with a walk and
Tayler Munoz singled on a bunt to load the bases.
Pinch hitter
Haley Cheek followed with a double to right center to bring in two runs and
Alyssa Waltman came home after the centerfielder dropped the ball in a transfer from her glove to make it 4-3 for the Penguins.
Vanessa Porto singled to move Cheek to third and Schumacher followed with a single up the middle to bring her home for the 5-3 lead.
Hilo looked to tie in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Alyssa Ramirez closed the door by scooping up a grounder and throwing home for the second out and then caught a soft line drive to end the threat. Katafias closed the door in the sixth and seventh allowing only one base runner between the two innings.
The Vulcans jumped ahead early in the second game as Brinell Kaleikini dropped a two-out single into shallow left field to bring home a run in the top of the first. Kiarra Lincoln extended the lead to 2-0 with a bases-loaded walk and Gaspar cleared the bases with a double into left center to make it 5-0 in favor of Hilo.
Porto and Schumacher led off the bottom of the third with a pair of singles to left field and Porto came home as Gaspar mishandled a squeeze bunt. The Penguins continued to cut into the lead in the fourth as
Dahlen Dennis doubled to left center to lead off the frame. Dennis scored on back-to-back groundouts to make it 5-2 in favor of the Vulcans.
Hilo extended the lead back to five in the top of the fifth with a pair of 2-out RBIs from Danielle Antolin and Skylar Thomas. The Vulcans then loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth. Markie Okamoto singled home one run and Thomas drew a walk to push the lead to seven. Maria Steadmon followed with a single up the middle to bring in two more and make it 11-2.
The Penguins staged a 2-out rally to try and keep the game going as
Keely Bowlan singled and Porto walked to put her in scoring position. Schumacher singled to left to bring home Bowlan, but Nikki Corla tracked down a fly ball in right field to end the game on the next at bat.
Dominican will hit the road Tuesday to take on Notre Dame de Namur in a game that was postponed by rain earlier this season. First pitch of the doubleheader will be at 11 a.m. PDT with live stats available online.
