Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 TURLOCK, Calif. — The Dominican University of California women's softball team earned its first-ever appearance in the Gold Winner's Bracket at the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The Penguins rallied back twice on Saturday, 11-4 over Northwest Nazarene University and 7-5 over San Francisco State, before dropping an 8-4 decision to Sonoma State in the final game of the night.

The Penguins (15-19) struck first against Northwest Nazarene but freshman Katelyn Harden (2-3) gave cause for concern when she allowed four runs and loaded the bases. However, she managed to avoid further trouble and leave the bases loaded. She was spectacular from that point and allowed just two hits over the next six innings of work to pick up her second win of the season in a complete-game effort.

The Penguins got two runs back in the top of the second, then broke through in a big way with a seven-hit fifth inning against NNU (10-24). Tori Johnson got the scoring started with an RBI single and Harden helped her cause with a two-run single back up the middle right through the legs of pitcher Ashley Peshek (4-9). Kayleigh Klingberg scored Leslie Mesa on a sacrifice fly to right field, then Dominique Perry brought Harden home with another single up the middle.

Three insurance runs in the seventh inning on another Johnson RBI single and a two-run single by Harden.

Dominican was forced to play from behind yet again against San Francisco State (14-26). Dominican took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Klingberg led the inning off with a triple, then scored on a Mesa single to left field. That lead held until the sixth inning when things took an apparent turn for the worse for the Penguins.The Gators took advantage of a pair of Dominican miscues and plated five runs in the frame to take a 5-1 lead.

With their backs against the wall, Dominican pulled off another comeback with an even bigger sixth inning of their own. The Penguins' first three batters of the inning reached base safely, which resulted in a a run. A bizarre fielder's choice put runners at the corners — a ball to the left side from Rachel Santiago forced Klingberg to retreat to the bag at third. She was blocked from returning to the bag by third baseman Lucy Fernandez. Mesa was initially ruled out when shortstop Courtney Gravel but after both coaches came out to argue their side, Klingberg was placed back on third. Alyssa Lanza singled the first pitch she saw to the right side, plating Mesa. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Johnson came up with another big hit, smacking a single off the glove of diving first baseman Marisa Andrade to score two more runs and give Dominican the lead, 6-5. Harden added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Ashlyn Moriarity tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure Dominican's second victory of the season over the Gators.

The Penguins had a chance at making it three from come-from-behind victories but Sonoma State spoiled those plans in the nightcap.

The Seawolves (29-11) wasted no time, scoring a run on Harden before the freshman worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam. However, Sonoma made the most of its production in the third with four runs on five hits.

Dominican got their first run in the fourth when Mesa drove home Johnson but a  golden opportunity went to waste when the Penguins left the bases loaded. The lead SSU lead shrunk to 5-3 when Harden helped her cause with a two-RBI double.

Sonoma State capitalized on a pair of Dominican errors in the fifth and scored three more runs to negate the Penguins' third comeback of the day, though Dominican cut the lead to 8-4 in the sixth by manufacturing a run. After laying down a bunt single, Lanza stole second which allowed Klingberg to score from third on the errant throw.

For the day, Johnson went 6-for-11 with four runs, six RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Mesa and Harden both went 5-for-12 with a pair of doubles.

Dominican will face another nationally-ranked team in the Gold Bracket on Sunday, April 6. That comes in the way of No. 8 Humboldt State, which the Penguins split with when the Jacks were still ranked No. 1 in the country. First pitch is set for 12:15 p.m. at Atch Pedretti Park in Turlock, Calif. Live stats will be available at dominicanathletics.com/live.