SAN RAFAEL, Calif. —Sophomore Dominique Walker bashed a two-run home run in the top of the seventh in game two to lead the Hawai'i Pacific University softball team to a split of a PacWest Conference doubleheader at Dominican (Calif.) on Monday afternoon at Penguin Field.
 
The Sharks (13-13, 6-10) dropped a high scoring first game to the Penguins (14-16, 13-7) 11-10 before coming back to take game two 7-5. Both games were settled in the seventh inning.
 
Game one saw HPU go into the seventh trailing 11-6 and score four before leaving a runner stranded at second.
 
Walker, a sophomore outfielder from Whittier, Calif./St. Paul, had an outstanding afternoon at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, the homer, two RBIs and three runs scored. She also walked twice and was hit by the pitcher twice.
 
Shark junior infielder Noelani Boyer of Carson, Calif./Banning was also strong at the plate, going 4-for-8 with home runs in each game, a double, eight RBI and three runs scored.
 
The Sharks visit Academy of Art for a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. HST (Noon PDT).
 
First Game
 
The Sharks jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to have the Penguins post 11 runs over four innings to build an 11-4 lead after five frames. Then HPU tallied six runs in the sixth and seventh and had a runner at second when the game ended for a Dominican 11-10 victory.
 
Starter Emiliee Leonard (4-5), who allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in three innings, was hung with the loss.
 
HPU got two runs in the first inning after a single and error to put two on before designated hitter Brazzlyn Tovio-Asato drilled a 2-RBI double to centerfield. The Sharks went up 3-0 in the second after Sienna Santiago scored on an error trying to get Leonard at first.
 
Dominican scored three to tie the game in the second on a two-run homer by Karitza Reyes and an RBI single by Mady Christensen.
 
The Penguins took the lead in the third on Keely Bowlin's bases-loaded RBI single and a fielding error that allowed Reyes to cross the plate for a 5-3 advantage.
 
HPU got one back in the fourth as Leonard scored on Boyer's one out fielder's choice before Dominican chalked up five runs in the bottom of the inning. Two errors by the Sharks allowed three of the five runs to be unearned.
 
Then in the fifth inning Catlyn Cavender homered to right to give DUC an 11-4 lead.
 
But the Sharks weren't done in game one, with Boyer smashing a two-run homer to left in the sixth to make it 11-6.
 
In the wild Sharks seventh, Sanchez was hit by a pitch and got walks from Nicole Viena and Walker to load the bases with one out. Boyer then walked for an RBI. Viena was thrown out at the plate on Sienna Dias fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. Carolann Toyama's two out double to right center drove in three runs pulling HPU within one at 11-10.
 
But a ground out by pinch hit Alexa McCoin ended the inning and the game.
 
Game Two
 
The Sharks went up 5-2 in the fifth inning, only to have the Penguins tie it up going into the seventh.
 
Walker's heroics gave HPU the lead and starter McCoin set down the Penguins 1-2-3 to preserve the win.
 
McCoin, the junior from Sacramento, Calif./Pleasant Grove, allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits with one strike out in going the distance to go to 3-1 on the season.
 
HPU plated its first run on back-to-back doubles by Leonard and Boyer.
 
The lead stood until the fourth when Reyes and Bowlin smacked RBI singles for a 2-1 lead.
 
The Sharks answered with a four-run fifth. Viena scored on Sanchez' RBI single, followed by a 3-run shot to leftfield by Boyer – her second round tripper of the afternoon. HPU led 5-2.
 
But the Penguins answered with two in the bottom of the fifth, on RBI singles by Alyssa Lanza and Reyes.
 
Dominican tied the game on an unearned run in the sixth when Alexis Chinchilla singled in Katelyn Harden who reached on a throwing error.
 
That set up the Sharks' seventh where Boyer picked up a single and Walker broke the tie with her first home run of the season.