KAILUA-KONA, Hawai`i--UH Hilo got home runs from Vevesi Liilii, Billi Derleth and Isabelle Mejia, along with standout pitching performances from Mejia and Valerie Alvarado to pin a twinbill sweep on visiting Dominican on Wednesday at Kealakehe High School, 12-2 and 2-0.

Derleth hit a grand slam in her first start of the year on offense, Liilii hit a three-run shot in her first Big Island start and Mejia drilled a ball over the centerfield fence as a pinch hitter in the second game as the Vulcans improved to 14-4 on the year and 9-1 in the Pacific West Conference. Dominican is now 3-6 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

The two teams will play again tomorrow on the west side of the Big Island, with a 11 am start scheduled at Kealakehe HS.

The games were completely different in scope. In the first game, the Vulcans put eight runs on the board in the first inning. After a pair of walks, Liilii (who has been injured), rocked a three-run blast over the left-centerfield fence. A few batters later, with the bases juiced, the designated player Derleth hit a grand slam over the left field barrier.

The Penguins would get a few runs back in the second inning when Vulcan ace Mejia walked a pair of batter to open the inning that would later come around to score. But in the fourth, the Vulcans would add four plate crossings to get in position for a mercy rule finish. UH Hilo had four hits in the inning, including a two-run double by Skyler Thomas. Mejia would then put the Penguins down in the order in the top of the fifth for the 12-2 final. 

Mejia allowed just one hit over five innings, gave up two earned runs, walked four and fanned one to improve to 7-0 on the year. Derleth was 3-for-3 in the game with the four RBI, Liilii was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI and Brinell Kaleikini went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

The second contest panned out much differently. Alvarado and DUC's Alyssa Waltman hooked up in a pitching battle, where the Vulcans struck first in the second inning after a Lauren Flores single and a Kiarra Lincoln RBI- base hit. 

Alvarado gave up a double to Mady Christensen to open the game, allowed a single in the second and two more base hits in the third. In the third, the Penguins had runners on second and third with one out, but Alvarado got out of the jam with a ground out and pop up.

Alvarado settled in after that. She retired the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, and Mejia then gave her some insurance with shot in the sixth. Into the game as a pinch hitter, she rocked the first pitch she saw deep over the center field fence to give UHH a 2-0 lead.

The Penguins created drama in the seventh, when a base hit, walk and a Vulcan error loaded the bases with one out. But like in the third, Alvarado got the next two outs via a ground ball and fly ball to center field. 

Alvarado improved to 3-2 with her first shutout of the year. She pitched seven innings, gave up five hits, walked one batter and struck out five. Flores and Lincoln had two hits each against Waltman, who gave up only one earned run and six hits in the game. Christensen and Haley Cheek had two hits for the Penguins.