LOLETA, Calif. – Dominican softball fell 5-0 and 8-0 Wednesday to Cal Poly Humboldt at Bear River Complex.
 
Shelby Keltner reached base safely three times and struck out six from the circle but the Penguins (7-8) were unable to generate the runs they needed to keep pace with the Lumberjacks (8-12) which finished with 24 hits and 13 runs on the day.
 
Game one
 
Marina Medina helped Dominican off to a strong start in the first game as she singled to right center with Keltner drawing a walk to move her into scoring position in the top of the first, but that was as far as they would get as Gaige Garcia induced a fly out to end the inning. After Keltner retired the side in the bottom of the frame, Kama Kaleikini sent a ball into right field but got caught trying to stretch the hit into a double and was tagged out to end the top of the second.
 
Kate Tobola drew a walk and stole second to move into scoring position for Dominican in the top of the third, but Garcia once again came through for Cal Poly Humboldt to leave her stranded. After all the near misses for Dominican in the first three innings, Micaela Harris singled for the Jacks in the bottom of the third and Katlyn Gifford sent a ball over the right field wall to take the 2-0 lead.
 
Things went south from there as Dominican was unable to get back on the base paths while Cal Poly Humboldt added two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead they would hold to for the win.
 
Game two
 
The Penguins once again had a good start as Tobola led off the game with a single to right and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt but Alyssa Smokey induced a pair of groundouts to her shortstop to end the threat. A pair of walks in the top of the second from Keltner and Kaleikini once again put a runner in scoring position but Smokey got a fly out to leave both runners stranded.
 
Once again the third inning was kind to the Jacks as Gifford doubled to right and Izzy Starr brought her home with a double to right center for the 1-0 lead. Another pair of doubles in the bottom of the fourth the second coming off the bat of Smokey down the left-field line brought the score to 2-0. 
 
Cal Poly Humboldt added three runs in the fourth inning before adding three more in the bottom of the sixth with Starr providing the game ending single to right field to bring in runners from second and third for the 8-0 victory.
 
Dominican will return to Penguin Field for a six game homestand beginning with Hawaii Pacific on Tuesday in a doubleheader beginning at noon PDT.