Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TURLOCK, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team started the 2012 campaign with a come-from-behind 7-4 victory en route to a split with Metropolitan State University on Friday afternoon.

Metro State (1-1) struck early in the first inning. Molly Clark walked, stole second, and scored on a single. The Roadrunners struck again in the third inning. Clark led things off by reaching on an error. After inducing a fielder's choice, pitcher Karly Harris struck out Susie Oury to end the inning and leave a runner stranded.

After quiet fourth innings by both teams, senior Jill Rizo started off the fifth inning with the walk and freshman Samantha Talavera laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Rizo over. An error allowed Shawna Robb to reach base, which scored Rizo. With Robb on base, junior outfielder Cortnie Chenoweth singled. Freshman second baseman Kelly Borges laid down a perfect bunt that scored Robb and moved Chenoweth. Chenoweth rounded second wide and Metro State catcher Kelsey Tillery attempted to throw out Chenoweth. The ball sailed all the way to the center field fence and Chenoweth came home easily and Borges followed.

Then in the sixth inning, freshman Kayla Rodriguez drew a walk in the next at bat and two batters later senior Kellie Hislop tripled down the left field line to drive in Borges and Rodriguez to make it 5-4.

The Lady Penguins (1-1) added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning after Borges singled, followed by another Rodriguez walk. It was Hislop again, driving a double to left center for the pair of RBI.

After allowing a leadoff single, Harris got Clark to fly out and ended the game on a ball lined back to the circle that she caught herself and tossed to Hislop for the game-ending double play. Harris, in her first game for the Lady Peguins, earned the complete game victory.

Dominican struck first in game one. Rodriguez singled and stole second, then came home on a single to left field by Rizo. The Roadrunners, who last season shared the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title and earned a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament, tied it up in the third inning. Tillery made up for her first-game error with a three-run homer in the sixth inning and that ended up being the game-winner.

"Getting that first win today definitely starts us off on the right foot. The team can see the direction that the program's headed and achieving that will only happen faster as the girls see that their hard work is paying off," said new Dominican Head Coach Roni Sparrey. "We're building on the positives and letting the negatives go."

The Lady Penguins are back on the diamond this weekend as they compete in the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational hosted by Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, they'll face Chico State at 10:00 a.m., Cal State Dominiguez Hills at 4:45 p.m., San Francisco State at 7:00 p.m.