AZUSA, Calif. – Dominican softball dropped its final two games 8-0 and 9-4 Saturday against Azusa Pacific at the Cougar Softball Field.
McKenzie Schumacher went 3 for 4 in the second game with two stolen bases and a triple to lead the Penguins (17-35, 8-24 PacWest) from the plate. With those three hits, Schumacher now has 57 hits, breaking
Tori Johnson's previous school record of 54 set in 2014.
Mady Christensen was the only Dominican player with hits in both games, finishing 3 for 6 on the day with one RBI.
Jenna Gorman led the Cougars' (22-25, 15-17 PacWest) offense with 3 for 6 hitting with four RBI and a double. Kat Ung (13-9) and Racquel Espinoza (7-8) earned the victories from the circle for Azusa Pacific.
Game one
The first game began as a pitcher's duel between Ung and
Alyssa Waltman with the Cougars getting two base runners and the Penguins one in 2.5 scoreless innings. APU loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and Erinn Jaramillo doubled to bring home the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Becca Jewett and Kayla Jimenez made it 4-0 with a pair of singles before a pair of groundouts helped Dominican get out of the inning.
Christensen singled through the left side to lead off the top of the fourth, but the Penguins were unable to get to Ung as she left the runner stranded at first. After back-to-back singles to open up the bottom of the frame, Gorman doubled up the middle to score both runners before she came home on Jaramillo's single to left for the 7-0 lead. The Cougars added the game winning run in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of hits by Hannah McClure and Illiana Jimenez.
Game two
Schumacher broke out of a two-game hitting slump with a single back to the pitcher to begin the second game. After she stole second, Christensen brought her home with a double to left center to give the Penguins the early momentum. Christensen came home on a pair of sacrifice bunts by
Alyssa Ramirez and
Karitza Reyes to make it 2-0 heading to the bottom of the frame.
An error, a walk and a single loaded the bases for APU in the bottom of the second and they were able to bring in five runs in the innings, highlighted by Gorman's two-RBI single back up the middle as they took the 5-2 lead.
The top of the order again led the charge for the Penguins in the top of the third. Schumacher singled and stole second before advancing to third on a throwing error with no outs in the inning. Ramirez brought her home with a bunt single back to the circle as Dominican closed the gap to two. Reyes then doubled to left center to put runners on second and third with one out, but Espinoza kept them there with consecutive groundouts to the left side of the infield.
After the Penguins held the Cougars scoreless in the next two frames, APU added two runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth and two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Schumacher led off the top of the seventh with a triple to left center, her fourth of the season tying Catlyn Cavendar's single season record, and came home on a sacrifice fly for the final run of the game.
These games concluded the 2018 Dominican season.
