SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Payton Oas delivered a walk-off single and Dominican softball swept the University of Hawai'i at Hilo in a doubleheader Friday at Penguin Field.  The Penguins (20-14, 11-7 PacWest) took the first game 5-4 in eight innings before topping the Vulcans (17-16, 11-9 PacWest) 6-1 in the second game of the day.
 
Taylor Rodriguez earned victories from the circle in both contests to move to 10-2 on the year while adding a home run on 2-for-7 hitting. Taylor Eby was the catalyst on offense going 4-for-5 on the day with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Tiare Guerrero was 2-for-7 with two RBI.
 
Game one
UHH struck first as it loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second. After an illegally batted ball resulted in the second out of the inning, Rayna White singled to shallow center field to bring home the first run of the game. Jayda Favela singled to center as well to bring home a second run, but Dominican took advantage of a base running mistake to run down a player at third base to record the third out.
 
Rodriguez cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning as she homered to left to lead off the frame. Melissa Garcia walked and Eby singled to put a pair of runners on with one out, but a line out and a ground out ended the inning with the Vulcans leading 2-1. Kate Tobola singled on a sharp hit to third base and Tiare Guerrero singled on a high-hop down the third-base line to once again threaten in the bottom of the third. Despite a sacrifice bunt moving both runners into scoring position, UHH once again did just enough on defense to strand them and preserve the lead.
 
The Vulcans strung together three consecutive singles with two outs to load the bases once again in the top of the fourth, but Eby tracked a pop up behind the plate and secured the ball for the final out. Dominican put runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the fourth, but UHH escaped the jam for the third inning in a row to keep its lead. The dam finally burst in the bottom of the fifth as Annabelle Burke homered on a line drive to left to tie the game.
 
The Vulcans answered as Lexie Tilton singled through the left side and Mariah Antoque homered to left field to retake a 4-2 lead, but Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez did not allow the lead to grow further. Eby doubled to right center in the bottom of the sixth and Morgan Saucedo homered to the same gap two pitches later to tie the game once again 4-4.
 
UHH threatened to retake the lead in the top of the seventh putting runners on second and third with one out, but Torres-Gonzalez never allowed a ball deep enough to drive in a run to send the game to extras. Taylor Rodriguez entered the circle and retired the side in the top of the eighth and Eby was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Eby advanced to second on a passed ball and then stole third on a ball four to Saucedo to put runners on the corners. Oas went down 0-2 quickly but kept herself alive with a foul ball before slapping a ball down the left-field line to bring home Eby for the 5-4 victory.
 
Game two
Favela singled up the middle on the first pitch of the second game advancing to second on a Tilton single through the right side before Mia Joaquin singled to left field to bring her home for the 1-0 lead. The Vulcans kept the Penguins scoreless through the next two innings, but Kate Tobola singled through the right side to lead off the bottom of the third to get a bit of momentum swinging towards the home team. Garcia dropped down a sacrifice bunt and after the catcher briefly looked to the lead runner she rushed a throw to first and hit Garcia in the back resulting in runners on the corners. Burke brought home the tying run on a sacrifice squeeze as the throw home was not in time to get the runner with Garcia advancing to third.
 
A fielding error loaded the bases and Eby singled up the middle to bring home the go-ahead run. Leslie Ruiz singled through the left side and Marina Medina singled to shallow left to plate two more runs and extend the lead to 4-1. Rodriguez left a runner stranded at first over the next two innings, but UHH put runners on the corners with a walk and a single in the top of the sixth. White grounded to short and Guerrero made the choice to go home with her throw beating the runner home for the second out and Favela grounded out to Guerrero on the next at bat to end the inning with no damage done.
 
Medina singled and Tobola reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Guerrero singled to center to bring home both runners for the 6-1 lead heading to the seventh and Rodriguez retired the side to earn the victory.
 
Dominican will face UHH again Saturday in the series finale at noon PDT at Penguin Field.