BRISBANE, Calif. – In the first set of PacWest games for the 2017 season, the Dominican University of California softball team split a doubleheader with Academy of Art on Thursday.
 
Despite pulling even in the top of the seventh inning, the Penguins suffered a 4-3 extra-inning loss in the first game. To wrap up the doubleheader, Dominican earned a comeback 4-3 victory after scoring three runs in the final frame.
 
Freshman McKenzie Schumacher starred offensively, reaching base in five of her six plate appearances as she scored two runs and added two stolen bases. She owns a five-game hitting streak and leads the team with a .417 batting average.
 
Senior Katelyn Harden provided a heroic performance in the second game Thursday, tossing seven innings and delivering the game-winning RBI.
 
The Penguins are now 1-7 overall and 1-1 in the PacWest. The Urban Knights own a 7-7 mark this season.
 
Game One: Academy of Art 4, Dominican 3
 
The two teams traded runs in the first inning and Dominican seized the lead once again in the top of the third. Catlyn Cavender and Dahlen Dennis contributed singles to establish the rally and then later, Karitza Reyes put a well-placed bunt into play and brought in the Penguins' go-ahead run.
 
Junior starting pitcher Gaby Katafias kept the Dominican lead intact until the Urban Knights struck for a pair of runs. Katafias finished with 5.2 innings pitched, allowing five hits and three runs – all of which were unearned.
 
Despite falling behind 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, the Penguins put together a game-tying rally. The top of the seventh featured a nine-pitch walk from Keely Bowlan and later in the frame, Cavender knocked an RBI single to bring in Schumacher.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning, Academy of Art tallied the winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Gracie Sotomayor delivered an RBI double into the gap.
 
Game Two: Dominican 4, Academy of Art 3
 
The Penguins fell behind 1-0 and then evened the score in the top of the third. With two outs and facing a 2-1 count, Harden lined a single as Cavender raced around to score.
 
The Urban Knights pushed in front, adding a run in the fourth and another in the sixth. Once again though, Dominican didn't back down from the challenge. Dennis and pinch hitter Tayler Munoz opened the top of the seventh with back-to-back singles. After Schumacher earned a seven-pitch walk, Bowlan followed with a two-run double to push the score into a 3-3 tie.
 
The Urban Knights made a pitching change but it couldn't slow down the Dominican offense. Harden used a 3-1 count to knock an RBI groundout before the Penguins were finally retired.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Harden retired the Academy of Art offense in order 1-2-3.