Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AZUSA, Calif. – Dominican softball fell 6-1 before a 9-inning 5-4 heartbreaker Wednesday night to Azusa Pacific at Cougar Softball Field.
 
Junior infielder Alyssa Ramirez went 2-for-5 on the day with three walks and a double to lead Penguins (7-12, 4-4 PacWest). Senior outfielder McKenzie Schumacher chipped in a 2-for-5 day with two stolen bases and two runs, while sophomore outfielder Peyton Mott added a 3-for-5 performance in the second game with an RBI.
 
Game one
 
Errors plagued the Penguins throughout the first game as Emily Moran led off with a double and then scored on a fielding error to give the Cougars (9-12, 5-7 PacWest) a 1-0 lead. Jenna Gorman then laid down a bunt single to bring home another run for APU, but Dominican was able to throw out Amanda Woods trying to advance to third on the play. After another error put two runners in scoring position, Shelby Keltner struck out two batters swinging to limit the damage.
 
Ebony Garza and Alyssa Waltman took advantage of a pair of Cougar errors with two outs in the top of the second to put runners on the corners, but Kat Ung induced a fly out to keep them off the board. Schumacher led off the top of the third with a single and quickly stole second with no outs, but Ung once again worked out of the jam with three quick outs.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Brielle Fraijo and Olivia Smith each reached on errors before Woods brought home Fraijo from second with a single down the left-field line to make it 3-0. Keltner got Gorman to foul out to Peyton Mott in left for the final out of the inning to keep Dominican within striking distance.
 
Waltman and Christensen each walked to lead off the top of the fifth and Schumacher laid a sacrifice bunt down to move them both into scoring position for the Penguins. Lauren Lapinid then sent a fly ball to left that allowed Waltman to score to close the gap back to two.
 
Three singles by the Cougars scored a run in the bottom of the sixth and two more runs crossed on a groundball and a sacrifice fly to give APU some breathing room at 6-1. Ung closed out the game with a clean seventh to move to 5-4 on the year.
 
Game two
 
After each team left runners in scoring position in the first inning, Ashley Kincaid tripled to right in the bottom of the second to bring home Makeila Laulu from first to take the 1-0 lead. Dominican did not allow Kincaid to advance any further as the next batter lined out to Bella Romani at second before a groundout to Lapinid at short ended the inning.
 
Michaela Fonoti then capped off a string of four straight singles in the bottom of the third to bring in Woods for the second run for the Cougars, but Waltman grabbed a groundball back to the circle to start an inning-ending double play to get out of the bases-loaded jam.
 
Celeste Salas singled on a sharp line drive that the shortstop was unable to handle to leadoff the top of the fourth for Dominican. Garza came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a ground ball, but APU induced a flyout to leave her stranded and keep the lead.
 
Mady Christensen finally opened the flood gates with a double down the left-field line to lead off the top of the fifth and Schumacher drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. Ramirez then drew her third walk of the game to load the bases before Mott laced a ball into right center to bring home Christensen with her third single of the night. Lapinid then brought home Schumacher for the 2-2 tie on a sacrifice fly.
 
Katherine Caravalho got out of a jam in the bottom of the frame with a pop up and a strike out, but Moran hit a two-out solo shot to left in the bottom of the sixth and Woods brought another run home with a single to retake the 4-2 lead for APU.
 
Dominican would not go down so easily as Schumacher walked and stole second to lead off the top of the seventh. Lapinid then singled to right field to put runners at the corners and Salas doubled to right center to bring both home for the 4-4 tie.
 
Laulu doubled in the bottom of the frame with one out and advanced to third on a poor relay throw to get the winning run in scoring position. Kincaid then flew out to center as Laulu tested the arm of Schumacher and failed as Helena Harris grabbed the throw home and applied the tag to send the game to extra innings.
 
Schumacher singled to lead off the top of the ninth, but got caught stealing right before Ramirez doubled to left center for the Penguins. Elizabeth Phillips got out of the jam with back-to-back groundouts for the Cougars.
 
Woods singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Becca Jewett and Fonoti singled to bring her home and end the game.