BOX SCORES: GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3

BELMONT, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team hit .278 as a team and freshman catcher Dominique Perry launched a grand slam but it wasn't enough, as the Lady Penguins dropped all three games of Saturday's tripleheader to Pacific West Conference rival Notre Dame de Namur University, 13-5 in five innings, 13-6, and 8-5.

NDNU (27-18/14-14) struck first with back-to-back crooked innings in the second and third. The Argos sprung for a four-run second inning and a seven-run third inning. Dominican (2-41/1-25) finally got in the scoring column in the fifth inning. Junior Shawna Robb pinch hit with the bases loaded and reached on an error by the second base, which allowed freshman Emillie Feenan to score. That set up Perry, who stepped into the box and proceeded to blast her first collegiate homer run—and grand slam—to pull the Lady Penguins to within 11-5. However, NDNU would get two runs back in the bottom of the fifth to earn the game one victory via the run rule.

In game two, with Dominican as the home team, the Lady Penguins took an early two-run lead in the bottom of the first. Freshman center fielder Crystal Albert opened the inning by being hit by a pitch. Albert swiped second base, her team-leading seventh of the season, and advanced to third on sophomore Molly Howard's bunt single. A wild pitch allowed Albert to come home and Howard moved up to second. Freshman outfielder Kayleigh Klingberg moved Howard to third on a single and Perry drove Howard home with a sac fly.

NDNU scratched out a run in the second and took the lead in the top of the third with three runs on three hits. Dominican manufactured a run of its own with Howard's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to keep it close at 4-3. However, the Argos had another big inning and posted five runs in the top of the sixth. Four more Argo runs made it 13-3 in the seventh. Dominican had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore outfielder Cortnie Chenoweth led off with a single and Albert followed with a double. Things quickly soured for the Lady Penguins though. Howard grounded out back to the pitcher and Chenoweth was picked off at third. Klingberg drew a two-out walk, and it was Perry inflicting damage again with a single that brought home Albert and Klingberg. Senior thid baseman Robyn Ridpath doubled home Perry but 13-6 was as close as Dominican would get.

The Argonauts took the early game three lead with a run in the second but the Lady Penguins took a lead in the fourth. Junior first baseman Kellie Hislop led off with a double and Perry singled. Ridpath walked to load the bases. Robb grounded to short but Mary Ortega threw home for the force. Freshman Rachel Santiago cleared the bases with a two-out triple and Albert brought Santiago home with an RBI double. Unfortunately for Dominican, the Argos wiped away the lead with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. They stretched the lead to 8-4 in the sixth. Howard had an RBI ground out in the top of the seventh but that's the last run the Lady Penguins would get.

Perry finished the day 3-for-7 with three runs and 6 RBI. Howard went 5-for-10 with a walk, two runs, and two RBIs. Santiago tallied two hits, two runs, and three RBIs. Klingberg finished with two hits, two runs, and two walks.

Albert finished her rookie campaign with  a pair of hits, two runs, and an RBI. She finishes the season with a team-best .372 batting average, which is ninth best in the PacWest.