SEASIDE, Calif. – Dominican softball dropped its doubleheader against Cal State Monterey Bay 5-0 and 1-0 Wednesday evening at Otter Sports Complex.
 
Kathryn Caravalho led the Penguins (12-21) on the day as she pitched seven shutout innings before a run in the bottom of the eighth inning spoiled her brilliant night from the circle. Dominican struggled to get anything going from the plate as four different players registered hits with Bella Romani notching the only double of the day in the first game.
 
Game One
After Jessica Cross led off the bottom of the first with a walk, Shelby Keltner was able to sit down the next two batters including one on a strikeout. Jessilyn Barrow then doubled to left center on a 2-2 count to bring in Cross for the 1-0 lead. The Otters (17-10) would add to their lead in the bottom of the second as Haylee Clay singled and then came home on a pair of errors to take the 2-0 lead.
 
Dominican looked to answer as Romani doubled with one out in the top of the third and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Jensen Main though worked her way out of the jam as she got the next batter swinging and then a groundout to second put an end to the frame. Barrow worked some more 2-out magic in the bottom of the third as she singled through the right side before Ally Alcayaga homered to left-center field to double the lead.
 
The Penguins were unable to generate much offense with a runner reaching second only one more time in the remaining innings and Abby Alcayaga added an insurance run with a home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth for the final 5-0 margin.
 
Game two
The nightcap was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Caravalho and Kassidy Stetler. The Otters were able to get one runner on in the bottom of the first as Ivanna Perez singled through the left side and stole second, but Caravalho limited the damage by retiring the next two batters on a fly out and a ground out to leave her stranded.
 
CSUMB threatened again in the bottom of the second as a walk put a runner on and a throwing error prolonged the inning with two runners on and one out. Once again Caravalho and the defense came through by retiring the final two batters of the inning to leave both runners stranded in scoring position and preserving the 0-0 tie.
 
Dominican was next to threaten the game's first run as Alicia Garcia and Celeste Salas battled at the plate in lengthy at bats that resulted in a pair of walks with two outs in the top of the fifth. Stetler came through in the clutch as she got the next batter swinging to end the threat.
 
No runners reached safely over the next three frames and Faith Erb opened up the top of the sixth with a single to left center field. A fielder's choice and a strike out kept the runner on first until Keltner entered as a pinch hitter and singled up the middle to put a runner in scoring position. Main then entered in relief of Stetler and struck out the next batter looking to end the Penguins chances to take the lead.
 
The Otters attempted to manufacture runs in the bottom of both the sixth and seventh as they led off the frames with a single and a walk, respectively, followed by a sacrifice bunt. Both times Caravalho came through to leave five base runners stranded and send the game to extra innings.
 
Barrow was awarded an infield single to lead off the bottom of the eighth as she was called safe on a bang-bang play at first. Ally Alcayaga then singled on a bunt right in front of the plate to put two runners on with no outs. Caravalho got the next batter on a fielder's choice and then struck out another swinging to move an out from escaping the inning. Abby Alcayaga bounced a ball up the middle and her twin sister Ally Alcayaga scored from second beating the throw home for the walk-off win.
 
Dominican will return to the diamond Sunday to take on Academy of Art in a doubleheader beginning at noon PDT at Mission Blue Field.