SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican softball dropped a doubleheader 8-0 (6 innings) and 5-2 Friday afternoon to Azusa Pacific at Penguin Field.
Lauren Lapinid led the offensive effort in the first game going 1-for-3 with a double while
Alicia Garcia went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Game One
Azusa Pacific threatened early as Ally Chin singled to shallow left field. She advanced to second as Aly Montesino put a ball into the hole on the left side, but Lapinid was able to backhand the grounder and throw to first for the second out of the inning. Dani Burghart then sent a line drive into center but
Peyton Mott reached up on the run to catch the ball before it could get past her for the final out of the inning to leave Chin stranded.
Lapinid found the gap in left-center field with for a one-out double and A. Garcia drew the walk to put a pair of runners on. Sydnie Sahhar though worked her way out of the jam catching the next batter looking before a foul out ended the threat.
Dominican continued to threaten in the bottom of the second as Mott hit a hard grounder between the legs of the shortstop and then stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. After Sahhar got a pair of strikeouts,
Faith Erb drew a walk and
Melissa Garcia sent a soft grounder towards second that Amanda Woods picked up and dove to catch a piece of Erb before she slid into second to save a run.
The Cougars were able to get on the board first as Chin came up to the plate with runners on second and third. Chin singled back of the middle to bring both runners home for the 2-0 lead. Izzy Rivera then homered to left center in the top of the fourth to double the lead.
APU continued the trend scoring a pair of runs in the fifth and the sixth to build an eight-run lead that it needed to take the victory in six innings.
Game Two
The Penguins wasted no time to get its first run of the afternoon in the second game as M. Garcia reached on an error and A. Garcia doubled to right center to bring her home for the 1-0 lead.
Amanda Woods singled through the left side to lead off the top of the second for the Cougars, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Madison Salgado singled to center with two outs to bring her home and tie the game. After a scoreless third, the same script played out with Woods reaching on a walk and advancing on a sacrifice before Salgado brought her home with the single to center for the 2-1 lead.
Faith Erb singled to shortstop to get Dominican moving in the right direction again in the bottom of the fifth before stealing second to get into scoring position with two outs. M. Garcia then singled down the left-field line to bring Erb home for the 2-2 tie.
The tie was short lived as Rivera doubled with runners on second and third to retake the 2-run lead before Erika Hanson doubled to center to score Rivera from second to make it 5-2. It was the cushion the Cougars needed as Katie Korstrom held the Penguins scoreless over the final two innings for the win.
Dominican will return to Penguin Field on Saturday for Senior Day as it concludes its series with APU in a doubleheader beginning at noon PDT.
