The Dominican University softball team opened the home portion of their 2016 schedule on Monday evening at the Ballpark in Rosemont, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the visiting Elmhurst College Bluejays, 10-1 and 6-2.
 
Offensively, the Stars showed signs of rust, managing just seven hits and three runs in the pair of losses while Elmhurst pounded the ball for 22 hits that led to 16 runs.
 
The Stars, now 8-6 on the season, return to the Ballpark on Wednesday, hosting the North Park University Vikings before opening Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action on Saturday with a trip to Mequon, Wisconsin, for a series with the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons.
 
Game 1: Elmhurst 10, Dominican 1
 
Haley Locher (Lisle, Ill.) was tagged with the loss in game one, lasting just two innings and giving up five runs, four earned, on four hits and three walks.
 
The Bluejays staked starting pitcher Stefanie Sanidas to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first, taking advantage of a pair of free passes before Mikayla Melone roped a two-run double and then scored on Crystal Marinelli's RBI single.
 
Elmhurst tacked on two more runs in the top of the second, ending the day for Locher.
 
Dominican got one run back in the bottom of the third when the Stars strung together four singles, the last an RBI single with the bases loaded by Sara Hausl (St. Charles, Ill.).  However, Sanidas set the Stars last 11 hitters down in order to pick up the complete-game victory.
 
Game 2: Elmhurst 6, Dominican 2
 
Stefanie Sturino held the Stars to just one hit and three base runners through the first six innings while Elmhurst scored three times in the top of the fifth and two more in the sixth to break open a 6-0 lead.
 
Dominican's offense finally showed some life in the bottom of the seventh when Ali Woitovich (Downers Grove, Ill.) started the frame with a single to right-center.  Gabby Curran (Elmhurst, Ill.) followed with her second hit of the day when she singled through the left side and Dominican capitalized on a Bluejays' fielding miscue that allowed Woitovich to come around and Curran to hustle to third.  Curran then scored when Catherine Conte (Elmwood Park, Ill.) grounded to short before Sturino slammed the door with a flyout and strikeout to end the game.
 
Michele Behrens (Frankfort, Ill.) took the game two loss, surrendering four runs on seven hits and one walk over four innings.