HAYWARD, Calif. – Celeste Salas led Dominican softball to a split against Cal State East Bay as it dropped the first game 2-1 in 10 innings before exploding for eight runs in the first inning of the second game and holding on for a 9-7 victory at Pioneer Softball Field.
 
Salas finished the day 4-for-5 from the plate with two RBI, a double and a run scored. Shelby Keltner continued to dominate in the circle as she struck out 18 batters on the day over 14 innings pitched. Lauren Lapinid finished 3-for-7 from the plate with a triple and a double to go with her two RBI and two runs scored for the Penguins (3-6).
 
Game one
Dominican got off to a hot start in the first game as Melissa Garcia singled on a high bouncing ball inside the third-base line and quickly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Lapinid reached safely on an error that also allowed Garcia to move 60 feet from home, but Anamaria Beard escaped the jam with her first strikeout of the day and a fly out.
 
Keltner added a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the frame with another in the bottom of the second as she did not allow a single hit in either frame. The Pioneers finally reached base safely as Sarah Duran singled to third base, but Keltner added three more strikeouts to make sure first base was where she stopped.
 
Lapinid tripled to deep right field to lead off the fourth inning as once again the Penguins looked to open the scoring, but Beard once again escaped with a pair of groundouts and a popup to end the threat. Despite a walk allowing the lead runner to reach base safely in the bottom of the frame, Keltner retired the next three batters to keep the game scoreless heading to the fifth.
 
Adriana Martinez finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth as she homered to left field to give the Pioneers (10-6) the 1-0 lead. Dominican put together some 2-out magic in the top of the seventh as Keltner singled to short and Alicia Garcia walked to put two runners on for Salas. Salas delivered the game tying RBI on a soft line drive into left center to bring home Keltner.
 
The game went to extra innings and the Penguins had another prime scoring opportunity as Jayla Cadena walked and Keltner singled once again to the shortstop in the hole to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. A groundout moved both runners up a base to bring Salas to the plate with a shot at the go-ahead RBI. Salas ripped a line drive to second but Ysabella Cortez reacted quickly to make the grab and caught the runner off the bag at second to end the inning.
 
CSUEB drew a pair of walks to open the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice bunt moving them both into scoring position with one out and Martinez delivered the game winning RBI on a slow groundout to second base to secure the victory.
 
Game two
Dominican shook off the disappointment of the first game and exploded in the first inning of game two. Kate Tobola led off the game with a walk and Melissa Garcia singled up the middle to put a pair of runners on for Lapinid. Lapinid then doubled to deep center to bring in two runs after three at bats. Salas doubled to right center to score Lapinid to keep the offense humming while Alicia Garcia and Taylor Rodriguez both drew walks to load the bases. The Pioneers looked as if they would escape the inning on a called strike three, but a passed ball followed by an errant throw to first allowed two more runs to score and increase the Dominican lead to 5-0. Tobola came back to the plate and sent a soft line drive into right field that the fielder misjudged and it hopped over her glove as she ran in sending Tobola to third and scoring two more for the 7-0 lead.
 
After Jayla Cadena retired the side in the bottom of the first, Lapinid and Salas drew walks before a wild pitch moved both into scoring position with one out. Keltner delivered a single to shallow right field to bring home Lapinid for the 8-0 lead. Savannah Barchus came in and escaped the jam with a pop up and a strike out to prevent further damage. East Bay was able to get on the board in the bottom of the frame as they strung together five hits capped when Duran doubled to left center to bring home the last two runs of the inning and make it 8-4.
 
Jeslyn Cuellar cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the third as she homered to center field, but Keltner re-entered the circle and quickly took the air out the Pioneer offense. Tobola got a run back for the Penguins in the top of the fifth as she was hit by a pitch and stole second before Melissa Garcia singled up the middle to bring her home for the 9-6 lead. Martinez homered for the second time off Keltner in the bottom of the sixth, but it was not enough as Keltner struck out three of the next six batters she faced to earn the victory.
 
Dominican will return to the diamond Saturday to take on Holy Names in a doubleheader beginning at noon PST at Chabot College Softball Field.