SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team dropped a pair of games to Dominican University, 5-2 and 5-4, Friday afternoon in Pacific West Conference play at Penguin Field.
After squandering a few early scoring opportunities, the Vulcans came alive late in game one but couldn’t quite catch up as they fell short, 5-2.
Game two saw the Penguins rally late as they scored three runs to tie the score in the final frame of regulation before walking off with the victory in the eighth inning.
After a quick three innings of play in game one, Dominican capitalized in the fourth on a lead-off error and a walk to cash in for three runs with an RBI single, squeeze bunt and sacrifice fly.
An inning later, the Penguins added two more runs with a two-RBI single by starting pitcher Shelby Keltner to make it a 5-0 lead.
The Vulcans had prime opportunities to score in the third and fourth innings, having led off each frame with consecutive hits but ended up going down in order.
UH-Hilo threatened late and plated a pair of runs in the final inning with a bases-loaded two-RBI single by Chloe Domingo to make it just a three-run ballgame, but that would be it — as the Penguins took the opening game of the series. Domingo finished 2 for 4 with a double and is now four hits away from reaching the career century mark.
The Vulcans jumped on the board early in game two with five base hits to score three runs in the top of the second inning.
UH-Hilo led, 4-1, heading into the bottom of the seventh but Dominican strung together five hits of its own to bring across three runs to tie the game up.
An inning later, the Penguins led off with back-to-back hits before Marina Medina brought in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Lexie Tilton batted 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI.
It was the first loss in four times this season in which the Vulcans totaled double-digit hits.
UH-Hilo will travel Saturday to Academy of Art, then play a five-game slate in Stanislaus State’s Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock through the first week of April.