Turlock, Calif. – Dominican University of California softball (14-25, 9-15 PacWest) split it's Saturday doubleheader at the Tournament of Champions, earning a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over Central Washington (14-7, 6-6 GNAC) while dropping a 13-0 decision to No. 25 Chico State (25-11, 16-8 NCAC).
 
Freshman Alicia Garcia continued her dominance from the batter's box, earning three hits while helping five Dominican runs cross home plate with much courtesy going to her three-run homerun in the top of the seventh. Junior Lauren Lapinid accounted for three runs with senior pitcher Kathryn Caravalho earning the game one win as Dominican, ironically enough, took on two different Wildcat institutions on the second day of the event.
 
GAME ONE
 
Central Washington darted out to a quick 2-0 lead after Allie Thiessen put herself on base with a one-out single up the middle. Thiessen advanced to third on the next play, then advancing home on a passed ball, before another single up the middle doubled the Wildcat lead.
 
Dominican found the scoreboard in the top of the third inning after junior Helena Harris drew a walk after the leadoff batter struck out. Harris advanced to third on a passed ball after Central Washington tallied the second out of the inning, preceding a Harris advancement to third as Lapinid drew a walk. Lapinid advance to second on a wild pitch during the next at-bat, putting a pair of Penguins in scoring position before a throwing error led to both runners scoring, knotting the game at 2-2.
 
Dominican doubled its advantage in the top of the fifth, kick started when both Harris and junior Kamaleinani Kaleikini drew walks to start the frame. Harris was thrown out at third as Lapinid reached on a fielder's choice before freshman Melissa Garcia also took her base courtesy of the third Dominican walk in the inning. Garcia sent a sacrifice fly deep to right field at the next at-bat after Central Washington made a pitching change, scoring two runs as the second baserunner crossed home plate on a throwing error.
 
Brooke Jordan earned an RBI double to cut Dominican's lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, then taking a late, 5-4 lead an inning in the bottom of the sixth after notching two more runs. Unfazed, Dominican took to the batter's box with its ninth, first and second batters in the order due up with one inning remaining.
 
A leadoff strikeout proved to be a very minor setback as Lapinid quickly singled up the middle before placing herself in scoring position when she advanced a base on n a wild pitch. Melissa Garcia singled to right field, putting runners on the corners with Alicia Garcia's attendance required in the batter's box. Garcia took her pitch to deep center field, sending a no-doubter over the outfield wall to give Dominican a 7-5 lead thanks to the 3-run moonshot. The Wildcats had no answer to the Alicia Garcia homerun derby, giving the Penguins a 7-5 victory.
 
GAME TWO
 
No. 25 Chico State scored early and often in Dominican's follow-up game on day two of the Tournament of Champions, earning four runs in the introductory inning with a two-run homerun being the cornerstone of the early scoring. Chico State added three more runs to its lead in the next inning, setting the score to 7-0. Two more runs were tacked on before Dominican saw its first scoreless inning in the fourth, but the game came to a forgettable close just one inning later as the Wildcats had put enough runs on the board to close the scorebook early, also adding four more in the fifth.