LAS VEGAS— Dominican softball struggled defensively on day two of the Desert Stinger Softball Tournament, falling 3-14 to Concordia University of Oregon and 4-7 to Montana State University Billings at Majestic Park in Las Vegas. 
 
McKenzie Schumacher powered Dominican's offense, earning her second career homerun, finishing the day going 3-for-6, accounting for three runs and 2 RBI. Peyton Mott also continued her hot start on the year, going 3-for-6 at the plate and adding an RBI, but it wasn't enough as the Penguins were unable to keep Concordia or MSU Billings off the base paths.  
 
Game 1 - Concordia 14, Dominican 3
 
The Cavaliers earned an early advantage over the Penguins as Paityn Willoughby hit a one-out single to left field, and Linda Gherir and Abby Fischer earned back-to-back walks to load the bases for Chelsea Sligh. Sligh singled to left field, scoring Willoughby to take a 1-0 lead. On the following at-bat, Macy Besuyen tripled to left center to clear the bases, giving the Cavaliers a 4-0 lead, forcing Dominican Head Coach Juliana Santos to bring in sophomore Rosa Leguria into the game to relieve starting pitcher Lauren Persi. Concordia would earn one more run on an error from Lauren Lapinid at shortstop to allow Besuyen to come across the plate, extending their lead to 5-0 before the Penguins escaped the inning.
 
Mott helped Dominican cut the deficit in the bottom half of the inning, knocking in Ebony Garza from third on a double down the left field line, but Dominican was unable to continue the momentum, as Rhaney Harris forced Mady Salonga and Vanessa Porto to fly out to end the inning.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Cavs took advantage of Dominican miscues as Sligh, Besuyen, and Turner started the inning with three straight singles, including two infield singles from Besuyen and Turner to load the bases. Yoshioka drove a single up the middle to score Sligh, and both Besuyen and Turner were able to score on a wild throw from Schumacher from center to make it an 8-1 ballgame. Hannah Self hit a sac fly to right, bringing in Yoshioka to score, and with one out, Marisa Stockton homered over the center field fence, and the Cavs showed no signs of slowing down. With two outs and two on, Sligh continued the inning by doubling to the right center gap, scoring Abby Fischer and Gherir, making it a 12-1 ballgame.
 
Freshman pitcher Shelby Keltner came into relieve Leguria, but Keltner was unable to contain the Cavs' offensive firepower, as Elena Cook welcomed Keltner into the game by sending a homer over the center field fence, giving Concordia a 14-1 lead. 
 
In an attempt to avoid the run-rule, Dominican added two runs in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez earned an RBI double to left field, and Alyssa Waltman earned an RBI single to center to bring the score to 14-3, but Concordia's defense shut down the Penguins' hopes of a comeback. 
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 7, Dominican 4
 
Schumacher ignited the Penguins' offense in the bottom of the first, beating out a grounder to the shortstop and stealing second on the following pitch to quickly move into scoring position. Ramirez knocked in Schumacher with a double to left center, and with two outs, Lapinid brought Ramirez around to score with a double to right field. 
 
MSU Billings came alive in the bottom of the second as Sydney Norwood hit a lead-off double to right field, and with two outs, Britzy Hockett doubled to right center to score Norwood. Hockett was caught trying to stretch a double into a triple to end the inning, but not before Norwood scored to cut the Yellowjacket's deficit to 1-2.
 
After two scoreless innings, Schumacher extended the Penguins lead to 4-1 with a 2-run homerun over the left center fence. MSU Billings retaliated in the top of the fifth as Allie Hughes earned an RBI double to left center off Waltman. Payton Reynolds helped the Yellowjackets come within one of the Penguins, bringing Hughes in from third on a sac fly to right field. 
 
After holding Dominican scoreless in the top of the sixth, the Yellowjackets loaded the bases for Morgan Quimby. Quimby doubled over the head of Schumacher in center field to bring Hailee Gregerson and Brittanee Fisher around to score, helping MSU Billings take the 5-4 lead. Hughes stayed hot in the box, knocking in Hockett and Quimby on a double to left field to extend their lead to 7-4. In the top of the seventh, Alyssa Etheridge forced Mady Christensen, Ramirez and Garza to ground out, sealing the victory for MSU Billings. 
 
The Penguins will play their final game of the Desert Stinger Softball Tournament tomorrow against the University of Texas at Tyler at 11:30 a.m. PST. The game will be held at Majestic Park in Las Vegas, and live stats will be available online.