BOX SCORES: Game 1 | Game 2

ATHERTON, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team earned its first win of 2011 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with NAIA Menlo College. The Lady Penguins needed eight innings but earned the 7-6 victory in game one. A late comeback attempt came up short in game two and the Lady Penguins fell 5-3.

In game one, Dominican got on the scoreboard in the second inning when freshman Kayleigh Klingberg drove home junior Shawna Robb and and senior Robyn Ridpath. Menlo wiped out Dominican's lead an inning later when the Oaks drove home four runs on three hits and took advantage of an error that allowed a pair of runs cross the plate. Menlo added runs again in the fifth and sixth to take a 6-2 lead. With two out and one on in the seventh, freshman catcher Dominique Perry made up for her earlier error and took one for the team when she was hit by a pitch. Ridpath hit a ball that should have ended the game but it was misplayed and junior Kellie Hislop came home to make it 6-3. Robb smacked a ground-rule double that scored Ridpath and Perry. Junior pitcher Jessi Saaty hit a ball to second but the throw went sailing by the first baseman, allowing the tying run in Robb to come home. With the winning run on third in the bottom of the seventh, Saaty induced a ground out in front of the plate that Perry fielded to get the out at first. In the eighth inning, Saaty quickly moved to third on a wild pitch after being placed on second base to begin the inning. Later in the inning, freshman Crystal Albert grounded out to first base but it allowed Saaty to come home for the go-ahead—and what would turn out to be the winning— run. Saaty pitched a 1-2-3 inning to earn the victory and wrap up Dominican's first victory of the season.

After three and a half innings of scoreless softball in game two, Menlo (2-8) struck for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Molly Howard's single to right center scored Robb got the Lady Penguins (1-8) on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Menlo's Catherine Gonzalez singled to left field and scored center fielder Amanda Vegas, who reached on a double, and a Dominican error later in the fifth allowed another run to score and gave Menlo the 5-1 lead. Robb sent Menlo back to the dugout 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth and Albert drove home Howard, followed by a Hislop single that scord Albert. Mikayela Viramontes got Dominican to hit a grounder back to the end the game.

On the day, Hislop and Howard each went 4-of-9 at the plate with a run and an RBI. Albert had a hit, a run, an RBI, and two walks. Robb went 2-for-6 with three runs, a pair of RBI, and a walk.

The Lady Penguins head to Mission Blue Field in Brisbane, Calif. for their next doubleheader on Saturday, March 5 versus Academy of Art University. The games mark the opening of Pacific West Conference play for the two teams. While the game will be played at Mission Blue Field, AAU's home field, Dominican will be considered the host team.