Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAYWARD, Calif.  — The Dominican University of California women's softball team dropped a Pacific West Conference doubleheader to host Holy Names University on Thursday at Alden E. Oliver Field.

The Lady Penguins (9-25/0-12) were unable to cling to an early game one lead and fell 3-2 before a late-inning comeback fell short, 4-2, in the nightcap.

In game one, Holy Names (5-23/6-6) struck first in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Kaeli Hunyandy tripled, then scored on Britini Ronolo's double to right center. Dominican charged back and took the lead in the top of the fourth. Samantha Talavera doubled. Talavera then scored on an an errant throw to first by the third baseman Ronolo. Freshman Ashlyn Moriarity, who reached on the error, came home when junior Kayleigh Klingberg ripped a triple down the right field line. That chased pitcher Vanessa Pulido and gave way to Kayla Simonson.

The lead held until the Hawks plated a pair in the fifth to tie it up and take the lead back for good. A leadoff walk to Hunyandy resulted in a run after she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, then came home to score on Taylor Cruz's double to center. Another walk proved costly when Alexis Moctezuma walked. Moctezuma stole second but sophomore shortstop Kayla Rodriguez made a heads-up throw back to junior catcher Dominique Perry, who applied the easy tag on Cruz, who broke for home. Moctezuma scored though when Allison Snider singled to center to give the Hawks the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

Simonson (2-1) picked up the victory in relief and pitched three and a third innings of work, allowed no hits, and issued just one walk. Dominican junior pitcher Karly Harris (4-12) lasted five innings while allowing three runs on five hits and struck out three.

During the nightcap, single runs in the second and third and a pair of runs in the fifth put Holy Names up 4-0, although only one run was earned. Dominican, which left eight baserunners on in game two, put together a seventh inning rally. Klingberg ripped another ball down the right field line for a double, then came home two batters later on a single off the bat of junior infielder Rachel Santiago. Sophomore infielder Leslie Mesa continued her hot tear at the plate by driving home Santiago to cut the lead to 4-2 but with two on, HNU pitcher Nicole Ochoa induced a groundball for a fielder's choice to end the game.

Ochoa (6-9) picked up the complete game victory. Freshman pitcher Ashlyn Moriarity (1-11) went the distance as well but took the loss despite giving up just one earned run on eight hits. She struck out four and walked one.

Mesa went 3-for-7, bringing her average to .329. She leads Dominican with 27 hits and a .371 on-base percentage. Klingberg went 2-for-5 with a run and her team-best 16th RBI. She's slugging a team-best .526.

Dominican will now head to Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday, March 22. First pitch of the non-conference doubleheader is slated for 12:00 p.m. in Seaside, Calif.