Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dominican softball split a doubleheader on its second day of action at the 2018 Dixie State Easton Classic, defeating Western New Mexico 10-8 before falling 6-5 to UC Colorado Springs at the Canyons Softball Complex.
 
Alyssa Waltman led the Penguins (2-6) from the plate, hitting 5 for 8 with six RBI and five runs scored. Waltman had her best performance of the year against the Mustangs (1-9) in the first game of the day, going 4 for 4 with four runs, two RBI and two home runs. She also recorded her first victory as a pitcher allowing three earned runs over five innings pitched in the game.
 
Dahlen Dennis led Dominican in the second game going 2 for 3 with two RBI and a double against the Mountain Lions (4-4).
 
Dominican vs. Western New Mexico
 
Western New Mexico jumped ahead early in the first game, capitalizing on a Dominican error with the bases loaded to score three of their four runs in the opening frame.
 
The Penguins responded with clutch hitting in the top of the second with two outs. First, Dennis sent a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall to give Dominican some momentum. Taylor Munoz and Waltman each singled to put runners on second and third for Alexis Chinchilla. Chinchilla stepped to the plate and sent the first pitch she saw down the left-field line to score both and cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
In the bottom of the second, Mariangela Garcia hit a long fly ball to center with the bases loaded to give the Mustangs a run back for a 5-3 lead which they would hold into the fourth inning.
 
After Dennis reached safely on an error, Munoz walked and Waltman singled to load the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth. Chinchilla singled up the middle for her third RBI of the game and Munoz came around to score as well on an errant throw from the catcher to tie the game. McKenzie Schumacher doubled to left center to bring home Waltman for the 6-5 lead.
 
Schumacher would come around to score on another throwing error by the catcher and Mady Christensen ended the high-scoring inning with a successful squeeze bunt to bring in Karitza Reyes to make it 8-5. Waltman added to the lead in the fifth with her first home run of the season to center field.
 
A two-out rally by the Mustangs in the bottom of the fifth got them right back in the game. Ariana Moldanado doubled home one run, while Aryanna Gutierrez and Alicia Habitzreuther each added RBI singles to make it 9-8 in favor of the Penguins.
 
Waltman stranded two baserunners in the sixth and then added an insurance run with her second home run in the top of the seventh. After Gutierrez singled to open up the bottom of the seventh, Waltman forced three groundouts to second to end the game.
 
UCCS vs. Dominican
 
Dennis doubled down to right to score two runs for Dominican in the bottom of the second to open the scoring in the second game. Lauren Persi then took over and held the lead through the next three innings.
 
The Mountain Lions struck back in the fifth loading the bases with two outs and scoring five runs to take the 5-2 lead. Waltman led the charge for the Penguins in the bottom of the frame with a sharply hit ball past the shortstop to score Reyes and Christensen to make it a one-run game.
 
Vanessa Porto and Dennis singled to open up the bottom of the sixth and Chinchilla's sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position with one out. However, Taylor Reidhead induced back-to-back groundouts to get UCCS out of the inning with the lead.
 
Taylor White brought home Kylie Barnard with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to give Reidhead an insurance run heading to the final frame of the game. Christensen walked and Alyssa Ramirez singled to open the bottom of the frame to put runners on the corners with no outs. Christensen came home on a double-steal attempt to cut the gap to one, but Dominican was unable to find the equalizer.
 
The Penguins will wrap up the tournament Sunday at 10 a.m. MST against Colorado School of Mines at Karl Brooks Field. Live stats will be available online.