Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team may have seen its best pitching effort of the season from starters Karly Harris and Shawna Robb but the Lady Penguins fell victim to second place Dixie State College on Monday in Pacific West Conference play, 3-2 and 2-1.

Dominican (3-40/0-25) struck first in game one. Center fielder Leslie Mesa led the first inning off with a walk and second baseman Kellie Hislop reached base after being hit by a pitch. They each advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Jill Rizo. Mesa was thrown out at the plate on a comebacker to the pitcher but catcher Dominique Perry singled up the middle to bring Hislop home for a 1-0 lead. The Red Storm (29-10/19-5) tied it 1-1 in the top of the second inning but Harris induced a pop-up to end the inning and leave the bases loaded. A three-hit Dixie State fifth inning led to a pair of runs that gave the Red Storm the lead for good. The Lady Penguins scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth on Perry's single to center and had two on in the sixth but were unable to tie it.

In game two, Robb allowed just two hits through five shutout innings before surrendering the go-ahead run in the sixth on a Courtney Sherwin single to center field. The Dominican offense rallied behind Robb though and scored in the top of the seventh. Rizo crushed a triple to left field that would have been a home run in most parks and came home on Rachel Santiago's bloop single to right center. Perry was hit by a pitch and Samantha Talavera laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Mattie Snow got Cortnie Chenoweth swinging to end the threat. The Red Storm rallied in the seventh. In mirror image of the top half of the inning, Anna Cue hit a leadoff triple and Kylee Bufton hit a two-out single to right center to walk it off for the Red Storm.

Harris induced 16 flyouts and three earned runs while Robb gave up two earned runs while inducing 11 groundouts. Both threw complete games.

"Today was a good bounce back effort for us after this past weekend. Our pitchers threw really well against a good hitting team and our batters made solid contact," said Head Coach Roni Sparrey. "We just need to manufacture more runs when we face them tomorrow."

The Lady Penguins face Dixie State again on Tuesday, April 17. First pitch of the doubleheader versus the Red Storm is slated for 12:00 p.m. at McInnis Park.