The Dominican University softball team got off to a hot start to their annual spring trip to the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, pounding out 30 hits over a pair of victories, including a 6-1 win over the Elms College Blazers and a 20-7 win over the Rivier University Raiders.
 
With the wins, the Stars climb back to .500 on the season, improving to 3-3 with ten games remaining on the week, including tilts with Geneva College and Kenyon College on Monday morning in Naples.
 
Game One: Dominican 6, Elms 1
 
Freshman pitcher Cat Klostermann picked up her first collegiate career victory, tossing five solid innings before giving way to the bullpen to improve to 1-0 on the season. The rookie right-hander surrendered just three hits while striking out five and walking just two.
 
The Stars staked Klostermann to all the support she would need in the bottom of the first when Gabi Alfaro lift a ball to the gap in left center with Elms's Kayla Doherty and Catharine Wrang colliding allowing Alyssa Domico and Gabby Curran to come across for the early 2-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, after Klostermann worked around a leadoff single, Dominican's Ali Woitovich busted out of a 2-for-13 stretch to start the season when she launched a solo home run over the fence in left-center.  The blast sparked a four-run rally for the Stars, opening a 6-0 lead.
 
After Klostermann stranded a pair of runners in the top of the fifth, head coach Cristina Lukas turned the ballgame over to Anissa Becker to protect the lead.  After working a flawless sixth, Becker surrendered a leadoff double in the top of the seventh with Elizabeth Olzewski later scoring the Blazers' lone run of the game on an Erin O'Donnell groundout.
 
Woitovich collected two hits in the win as the Stars outhit the Blazers, 9-4.  Curran, Abby Maike, Domico, Alfaro, Klostermann, Katie Fredrick and Emaly Burns collected one hit apiece.
 
Game Two: Dominican 20, Rivier 7
 
In game two, the Stars rapped out 21 hits, scoring at least one run in every inning, including a seven-run fourth and five-run fifth inning.  Jacadi Rivera and Marissa Burns collected three hits apiece while Curran, Maike, Domico, Woitovich, Alfaro and Alena Valenzuela tallied two hits each.
 
Sophomore Sydney Kuderna picked up the win in the circle, surrendering four runs on four hits over four innings while striking out two and walking none.