SAN RAFAEL, Calif. –
Kamaleinani Kaleikini powered Dominican softball to a split of Saturday's doubleheader with Biola winning game one 9-3 before dropping a 3-2 decision in the second game at Penguin Field.
Kaleikini finished 4-for-6 from the plate with four RBI and her first career home run being a grand slam for the Penguins (18-19, 11-11 PacWest).
Shelby Keltner pitched 8.2 innings on the day allowing three earned runs and earning the victory in the first game of the day.
Game one
Kennadie Tsue helped the Eagles (13-19, 8-11 PacWest) grab an early lead as she doubled down the left-field line. Alexa Medley then singled on a perfect bunt that spun dead in fair territory on the third-base line as Tsue took third on the play. Tsue came home on a sacrifice fly to take the 1-0 lead.
Tiare Guerrero singled up the middle and stole second to start the bottom of the frame for the Penguins. After she advanced to third on a fly out, Guerrero flashed some brilliant base running taking a big enough lead to come home safely on a groundout to the catcher to tie the game.
After Keltner held Biola scoreless in the second,
Taylor Eby was hit by a pitch to reach safely in the bottom of the frame.
Annabelle Burke then doubled off the top of the wall in left to bring her home with two outs to take the lead.
Caitlyn Perales singled to shallow left and Burke showed no hesitation rounding third sliding in before the tag to make it 3-1 Dominican.
The fourth inning brought a lot of close calls that drew the ire of the Eagles caoching staff. With Abie Nowak at third base, Mikala Huskey struck out swinging but a ball in the dirt allowed her to run to first and the throw down to first hit her inside shoulder before bouncing off the face of the Burke at first. After the umpires huddled it was determined that the runner was inside fair territory and had interfered with the throw wiping a potential run off the board and becoming the second out with Guerrero tracking a ball down in foul territory to leave the runner stranded.
In the bottom of the inning Perales doubled to left center and Guerrero singled to left before stealing second to put a pair of runners in scoring position.
Olivia Lee then worked a full count before hitting a ball towards first that at first glance appeared to be foul but was ruled fair by the home plate umpire allowing two runs to come home on the double for the 5-1 lead.
The Eagles were able to get two runs back in the fifth, but the momentum was short lived as Dominican loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth before Kaleikini sent a shot down the left field line and just inside the foul pole for a grand slam to make it 9-3 Penguins. Keltner quickly retired the side in the seventh to secure the victory.
Game two
The second game was a seesaw battle between the teams. Biola scored first as Kaitlyn Hawkins singled to right field to bring home a runner from second for the 1-0 lead in the second. A fielding error in the top of the third allowed another Eagle run to score to take the 2-0 lead.
Dominican finally found its bats in the bottom of the third as Guerrero dropped down a bunt for a single and stole second. Burke then singled back up the middle to bring her home and cut the lead to one.
Biola added to its lead in the top of the fifth as Raylene Roybal doubled to right field and Mikayla Jordan singled to right center to make it 3-1. Perales singled to left to lead off the bottom of the fifth and stole second before Burke singled off the third base bag to bring her home and cut the lead to one once again.
Dominican had a prime chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth as Kaleikini walked and
Aneesa Brewer singled on a looping ball to left. Eby drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but Dominican could not bring the tying run home.
Taylor Rodriguez and Kaleikini both drew walks in the seventh with two outs to once again get a runner into scoring position and Brewer sent a line drive towards the gap in right center but the right fielder was able to chase it down and make the full-extension grab to prevent the ball from falling and bringing in a pair of runs.
The Penguins will return to action Friday in a doubleheader with Azusa Pacific beginning at noon at Penguin Field.
