SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican softball fell in a Monday afternoon doubleheader 4-3 and 6-0 to Azusa Pacific University at Penguin Field.
The Penguins (3-2, 2-2 PacWest) came back from behind in the first game to tie the score at three piece, but the Cougars (5-7, 2-2 PacWest) rallied for the winning run in the fifth inning. Kat Ung earned a 2-hit win over the Penguins in the second game.
Game 1
Senior infielder
Karitza Reyes provided the spark on the offensive end for Dominican, going 1-for-2, with a homerun and two RBIs. Freshman infielder
Peyton Mott also went 1-for-2 with one RBI on the day. Junior pitcher
Lauren Persi started for the Penguins, pitching five innings while giving up six hits and one earned run. Freshman pitcher
Kathryn Caravalho came in to relieve Persi and gave up one hit in the final two innings.
Emily Moran went 2-for-4 on the day for APU, while Dani Burghardt added a .333 day at the plate driving in two runs. Racquel Espinoza earned the win from the circle allowing two hits and three runs in a complete game to move to 3-3 on the year.
In the top of the second, the Cougars took advantage of several Penguin miscues to apply pressure on the defense. Persi walked Amanda Woods and Melanie Abzun followed after reaching on a muffed catch to put runners on the corners. Burghardt layed down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home Woods for the first run of the game. Daniella Toschi kept the rally alive with a single just past the outreaching arms of Reyes at short to bring in Abzun for the 2-0 lead. Toschi took third on a passed ball and then scored after another muffed catch to extend the lead to 3-0.
In the bottom half of the inning the Penguins played small ball to get on the board. Ramirez walked and advanced to second on a passed ball before
Dahlen Dennis laid down a routine sacrifice bunt to move her to third. Mott then brought Ramirez home on a sacrifice fly down the left-field line to close the gap to two.
The Penguins held the Cougars scoreless over the next two frames and
Mady Christensen walked and stole second to advance into scoring position in the bottom of the fourth. Reyes took an inside pitch and sent it over the left-center fence to tie the game at 3 with no outs. Espinoza was able to get out of the jam as she snatched a shot up the middle, and turned to second to catch Dennis off the bag for a double play.
APU quickly regained the lead in the top half of the fifth as Abzun doubled to left center, and Burghardt followed suit in the next at-bat to make it 4-3.
In the top of the sixth inning, Caravalho relieved Persi, and was backed by great plays from Reyes and Christensen to retire two speedy slap-hitters in a row. Caravalho struck out Espinoza to end the frame and held APU scoreless in the top of the seventh as well, but the Penguins were unable to string together enough hits to make a comeback.
Game 2
In game two of the doubleheader, it was all Azusa Pacific on the offensive and defensive ends. Ung got the start for the Cougars, and was perfect through three and a third, giving up the first hit of the game to Christensen in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ung only gave up two hits, and walked just one throughout all 7 innings.
The Cougars jumped ahead early as Broussard earned a lead-off walk, and took second on a passed ball. Moran doubled to center field to bring her home for the first run of the game and one out in the first. Becca Jewett singled to advance Moran to third, and Woods layed down a squeeze bunt on the following at bat to bring home Moran for the 2-0 lead.
Power hitting Mott hit a rope to left center in the bottom of the second, but center fielder Olivia Smith made a diving catch to her right to keep the Penguins off the bases. The Cougars used that energy into the top of the third to extend their lead to 4-0 as Abzun took an outside pitch over the opposite-field fence for a 2-run homer.
The Penguins were unable to put up any offensive threats and APU added runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Penguins will work to breakeven with Azusa tomorrow as they will make a quick turn-around to face the Cougars at noon and 2 p.m. PST at Penguin Field. Live stats will be available online.
