HONOLULU – Dominican softball one a pair of nailbiters against Chaminade taking a 3-0 decision in eight innings before coming from behind for a 7-5 victory Tuesday afternoon at Sand Island Park.
 
Freshman pitcher Alexis Verduzco (4-2) collected the first complete game shutout of her career pitching eight scoreless innings for the Penguins (13-13, 8-6 PacWest). Morgan Heggstrom provided the clutch hitting Dominican needed to take the first game going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Tiare Guerrero had hits in both games but her first career home run in the second game capped off a 3-for-3 performance with the three RBI that put the Penguins up for good.
 
Game one
Tiare Guerrero doubled to lead off the game as Dominican looked to score early, but it was not meant to be as Ava Walker got the next batter swinging before a ground out and a caught stealing ended the inning. While the Penguins knocked on the door of home a few more times in the following innings, it was Verduzco that commanded the game not allowing a hit until the eighth matter she faced before stranding her at first on the very next pitch.
 
Chaminade's best chance to score came in the bottom of the fourth as Carisma Ta'amai was hit by a pitch and Gabriella Schneider singled down the left-field line. Chaos ensued as Leila Benson let the ball get by her allowing the runners to advance but she tracked the ball down and threw home in time to catch Ta'amai at the plate for the final out of the inning.
 
Verduzco again left runners stranded in the bottom of the sixth getting a popout from Summer. Buck, the Silverswords top offensive player, with a runner in scoring position with Tobola securing a lineout one pitch later to end the frame. Heggstrom singled with Karlyn Manuel entering to pinch run in the top of the seventh. Manuel moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, but Walker again got the crucial out to escape danger. Verduzco returned the favor as she spoiled a two-out rally getting Alena Frost to line out to center field with runners on first and second.
 
Leslie Ruiz and Kate Tobola singled in back-to-back at bats to put runners at the corners with one out for Dominican. Walker kept the next fly ball close enough to keep the runners at their bases. Taylor Rodriguez walked to load the bases with two outs. Heggstrom returned to the plate and delivered for the second straight inning as she singled to shallow right center to bring home two runs. The throw home bounced away from the catcher allowing Rodriguez to come home for the 3-0 lead. That was all the room the Verduzco needed as she closed out the shutout by retiring the side in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Game two
Schneider doubled to left center and Buck singled to right center as Chaminade started to get its offense started up in the bottom of the first. Sunni brought both home on a single to right center to take the 2-0 lead. The Penguins utilized the entire field in the top of the third as Tobola singled up the middle, Guerrero singled to left and Burke singled to right to load the bases with one out. Heggstrom brought Tobola home on a sacrifice fly to center to cut the Silversword lead in half.
 
Chaminade got the run back in the bottom of the third as Mikala Jacobsen and Schneider singled before a throwing error allowed Jacobsen to come home for the 3-1 lead. Alena Frost brought a fourth run in for the Silverswords as she singled to right to score Isabel Rodriguez from second to extend the lead to three.
 
Alexis Abalos and Tobola singled to lead off the top of the fifth for Dominican with both moving deeper into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Burke brought one home on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4-2. It was short lived as Kahanu doubled to left center and Rodriguez singled to the same spot to extend the Chaminade lead back to three before Mia Souza entered the circle to record the final out and send the game into the sixth.
 
Leila Benson and Kaitlyn Aguilar walked to lead off the top of the sixth before Leslie Ruiz singled to center to load the bases with one out. Morgan Saucedo brought home Benson from third on a sacrifice fly and a fielding error allowed Tobola to reach safely while bringin the Penguins back within one. Guerrero stepped to the plate with two outs and fought off seven pitches before lofting a ball into left field. The outfielder dove at the ball in an attempt to end the inning but missed and the ball rolled to the fence allowing both runners to come home and Guerrero used her speed to round the bases and touch home before a throw made it back to the infield for an inside-the-park home run and the 7-5 lead.
 
Rodriguez entered in relief for Dominican and survived a scare in the bottom of the sixth leaving runners stranded at second and third and left a third runner stranded in the top of the seventh to earn the save with Souza moving to 3-0 on the year.
 
The Penguins will hope to finish the series with Chaminade on Thursday with games at noon and 2:30 p.m. HST, but a storm system threatens to postpone or possibly cancel the games.