BOX SCORES: GAME 1 | GAME 2

BRISBANE, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team dropped the Pacific West Conference opener against Academy of Art University on Saturday afternoon, losing both games in five innings, 11-0 and 8-0. Dominican served as the host team for the doubleheader, which was played at Mission Blue Field. The Lady Penguins struggled offensively, stranding all 12 baserunners, and defensively, failing to quickly escape two-out situations.

After plating runs in the second and third inning to take an early 3-0 lead, the Urban Knights (9-3/2-0) looked to add on in the fourth. An error in the Dominican (1-9/0-2) outfield allowed Andrea Hanchey to reach base but Jessi Saaty got the next two batters to pop out and strike out. A Julie Martin hit through the left side scored Hanchey and opened the flood gates. By the end of the inning, the Urban Knights had plated six unearned runs and led 9-0. With two outs in the fifth, Genna Allen homered to left field for AAU. Dominican stranded a runner in every inning of the first game.

The Urban Knights scored a run in the second inning and took the early 1-0 lead in game two. Two Dominican errors in the third inning allowed two more Urban Knight runners to score. It was deja vu in the fourth inning after junior Shawna Robb induced two straight ground outs to open the inning. The Dominican infield committed two errors on the following two plays and AAU capitalized with four runs. The Lady Penguins had a chance to score in the top of the fifth but stranded a pair. Alana Aweau homered to dead center in the bottom half of the inning and induced the run rule, essentially giving her a walk-off homer.

Robb went 3-for-4 at the plate on the day and sophomore infielder Molly Howard went 2-for-6.

the Lady Penguins return to Mission Blue Field on Thursday, March 10 when they face NAIA Oregon Tech. That doublehader will take place under the lights, with first pitch slated for 5:00 p.m.