The Dominican University softball team opened the 2018 season on Sunday, topping the New England College Pilgrims 5-1 before rallying for a 3-1 win over the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves at the College Spring Games in Clermont, Florida.  Dominican continues its 12-game trip on Monday, taking on the Wartburg College Knights at 1:00 p.m. ET before meeting Wheaton College at 3:00 p.m. ET.
 
Game One: Dominican 5, New England College 1
 
Sydney Kuderna and Cat Klostermann were dominant in the circle in game one, combining for ten strikeouts while allowing just two hits and three walks.  Kuderna got the start for Dominican, scattering two hits and two walks over the first four innings before turning the game over to Klostermann in the fifth tied at 1-1.
 
After the Stars took a 2-1 lead on Julia Orozco's RBI double in the top of the sixth, Klostermann limited the Pilgrims to just one baserunner the rest of the way.
 
The Stars opened the scoring in the top of the fifth when Jacadi Rivera lined a one-out triple to the gap in right-center and then scored on CJ Mardirosian's single to center.  After the go-ahead hit by Orozco in the sixth, Dominican added three runs in the seventh on a run scoring single by Gabi Alfaro ahead of a two-run double by Ali Woitovich.
 
Alfaro finished the game going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored
 
Klostermann picked up the win in the circle, tossing three shutout innings after Kuderna allowed just one unearned run on two hits over the first four-plus innings.
 
Game Two: Dominican 3, Nebraska Wesleyan 1
 
Klostermann continued to work in game two, allowing just one run on two hits and a walk over the first four innings before Michele Behrens came on to work the final three innings, surrendering just one hit and one walk to pick up the win.
 
Dominican broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth when Marissa Burns opened the frame with a triple down the right field line.  A batter later, Woitovich doubled off the bottom of the wall in center to give Dominican its first lead of the game.
 
After Behrens set the Prairie Wolves down in order in the sixth, the Stars added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Burns to score Behrens who led off the inning with a walk.
 
Behrens then worked around a leadoff walk and one-out single, getting Payton Swanson to bounce a come-backer to the circle with runners on first and second.
 
Burns led the way offensively for Dominican, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.