TURLOCK, Calif. — The Dominican University of California softball team dropped its first two games at the Tournament of Champions, 9-6 to Western Oregon and 12-4 in six innings to Western Washington.

Western Oregon (15-14) plated runs in the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead. Dominican rallied back in the fifth and sixth innings with back-to-back three-run frames to go ahead 6-4. Catlyn Cavender began the rally with a homer to dead center, her third of the season. Alyssa Lanza, Tori Johnson, and Katlyn Harden continued the hit parade to cut the lead to one in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Keely Bowlan and Cavender singled to load the bases. Harden cleared the bases with a double to left center. However, the Penguins' rally was cut short by a controversial call in which resulted in a Dahlen Dennis striking out. WOU grabbed the momentum — and the lead for good — with a five-run bottom of the sixth inning. Dominican outhit the Wolves 11-10. Gaby Katafias (3-4) took the loss and was charged with all nine runs, six earned.

Western Washington (19-16) took an early 3-0 lead but the Penguins erased the deficit in the top of the third thanks to a five-hit inning. The Vikings manufactured a run in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead and blew things open in the fourth with a seven-run inning. Another run in the sixth invoked the mercy rule. Ashlyn Moriarity (3-5) was charged with the loss in the nightcap.

Tournament action continues on Saturday as the Penguins take on Concordia (Ore.) at 2 p.m. and Saint Martin's at 7 p.m. Live stats will be available at dominicanathletics.com/live.