ROHNERT PARK -- Trailing by four runs heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sonoma State softball team rallied to tie the game at 5-5, then Holli Brown singled home Karly Macadangdang for the game-winning run in the ninth to earn an exciting 6-5 season-opening victory over visiting Dominican on Wednesday afternoon at the Seawolf Softball Field in Rohnert Park. 

Play was suspended in game two due to darkness, however, with the Seawolves leading the Penguins 3-1 after four complete innings of play.  The two teams will complete the game at a date and time to be determined later.

In the opener, Sonoma State fell behind 4-0 after Dominican scored a run in the first and three runs in the third off of Amanda Llerena.  Llerena would settle down, allowing one run on six hits in her final six innings of work to pull out the complete-game victory.  In total, the reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Year allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits, walking two and striking out eight.

The Seawolves scored their first run of the season in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Carlie Daniel, scoring Ancia Purdy to cut their deficit to 4-1.  The Penguins would add a run in the fifth for the 5-1 lead, but Sonoma plated four runs in its half of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk by Keeley Ray, a sacrifice fly by Daniel, then a two-RBI single by Brown.

After neither team broke the tie in the seventh, forcing extra innings, the game would feature the international tiebreaker, placing a runner on second at the beginning of each half inning.  It wasn't until the ninth inning when a team would pull ahead -- and it would be Brown with the walkoff hit up the middle on a 2-2 pitch with one out and Macadangdang on third base.

Four SSU players had two hits apiece (Purdy, Daniel, Brown and Alison Strycula) to lead the way.  Brown had three RBI, Daniel with two.

Dominican matched Sonoma State's hit output with nine -- the Penguins were led by the three hits off the bat of Leslie Mesa,.  Catlyn Cavender and Tori Johnson each pounded out two hits, all off of Llerena.

In game two, Dominican again scored first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning off SSU starter Mayleen Mazon, but the Seawolves responded with two runs of their own in their half of the first -- an RBI double by Daniel and an RBI single by Mazon.  Another Sonoma run came home in the second when Ray hit home Strycula for the 3-1 advantage.

As darkness began to settle in, both teams agreed to suspend the game before starting the fifth inning.  Dominican will return to Rohnert Park at a date and time to be determined later to finish the ballgame.

In the meantime, Sonoma State will host Hawaii Hilo in another non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at the Seawolf Softball Field with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 pm.