TURLOCK, Calif. — The Dominican University of California softball team split in its final two games of the 2016 Tournament of Champions with an 8-7 victory in eight innings over Montana State University, Billings and an 11-3 loss to Cal State San Bernardino in five innings.

After a 27-minute delay in starting game one versus MSUB (10-23), the Penguins committed an error on the first play of the game. With runners on the corners, the Yellowjackets sent Bella Rovens from first, who successfully got back to the bag safely but also gave Cori Cammon enough time to steal home. Dominican (12-25) responded in a big way though. The first three Dominican batters singled though Haley Cheek lined into a double play. Another single, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Karitza Reyes tied the game. Tori Johnson scored on a wild pitch to give Dominican the lead. Tayler Munoz singled home Shannon Rodriguez and Reyes also scored on a wild pitch. In the second inning, Catlyn Cavender tripled home Alyssa Lanza. Cavender came around to score on Rodriguez's single down the third base line.

The Yellowjackets trimmed Dominican's lead to 6-4 with a four-hit, three-run third inning. The third run, which scored on a sacrifice fly, was unearned. Dominican went to the bullpen in the fifth after Ashlyn Moriarity went four innings with two earned runs. Gaby Katafias (4-5) allowed a two-run homer to Nicole Tiffany that tied the game at 6-6. She didn't allow another run until the eighth, when the international tiebreaker went into effect. With a runner placed on second, Bella Rovens sent a two-out single up the middle to give MSUB its first lead of the game, 7-6. However, Dominican also made the most of its runner. Lanza laid down a perfect sac bunt to move Keely Bowlan to third and Cavender sent a single up the middle to tie the game. Tori Johnson was plunked in the back and Haley Cheek delivered the game-winner with another single back up the middle.

Cal State San Bernardino (22-21) put the second game of the day out of reach with an eight-run first inning. The Penguins got three runs back in the third thanks to RBI singles from Cavender and Cheek but CSUSB plated a pair in the fourth and invoked the run rule with a run in the fifth.

Katelyn Harden, who did not play on Sunday after being injured part way through Saturday's game versus Saint Martin's, was named to the All-Tournament Team. She was also the tournament batting champion with a .769 batting average. She went 10-for-13 (.769/.769/.846) with nine RBI, a run, and a double.

Dominican returns home to host Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday, April 9 for a PacWest doubleheader at 12 and 2 p.m. Parents, alumni, and donors are invited to join us for Chilly's Cove. Enjoy a social with appetizers and beverages from 1-2:30 p.m. on the grass at the entrance to Penguin Field. As with all weekend conference games in 2016, that is a Softball Bingo day with a chance to win prizes by playing along to the action on the field. Live stats will be available at dominicanathletics.com/live with live audio provided by the student broadcasters of Penguin Radio at radio.dominican.edu.