IRVINE, Calif. – Dominican softball dropped its final doubleheader of its Southern California road trip Tuesday 3-1 and 2-0 to Concordia University Irvine at Golden Eagles Field.
 
Shelby Keltner collected two hits and the lone RBI for the Penguins (_) while also pitching 6 innings allowing three earned runs and striking out four. Taylor Rodriguez impressed from the circle yet again limiting the Golden Eagles (-_) to two runs and striking out two over six innings pitched in the second game.
 
Game one
Dominican got off to a strong start as Kate Tobola walked and stoled second before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Marina Medina walked, Keltner brought Tobola home on a looping single just past the outstretch glove of the short stop in left to score one run. Dominican looked poised to add to its lead on a soft line drive by Annabelle Burke into left, but Megan Massa got a good read on the ball and made a diving catch to prevent two more runs from crossing the plate.
 
After Massa singled on a bunt down the third base line with one out in the bottom of the third and advanced when a miscommunication allowed Mary Baccay to reach on an infield single. Sydney Sprinkle singled to shallow left to bring one run home, but Keltner limited the damage and retired the next two batters to leave the inning tied 1-1.
 
The pitchers owned the next two innings, but a pair of walks in the bottom of the sixth put runners on base for the Golden Eagles with one out. Missy Nemeth then singled to center and Megan Johnson rounded third looking for the go ahead run, but a perfect throw by Caitlyn Perales was in time to Celeste Salas behind the plate who applied the tag for the second out. Perales attempted to end the inning on the next at bat as she dove for a soft line drive off the bat of Michalah Robison but the ball went under her glove allowing two to score for the 3-1 CUI lead.
 
Burke got the Penguins off to a strong start in the top of the seventh as she doubled to left before Jayla Cadena and Lauren Lapinid walked to load the bases with no outs. Katlin Entrup though found her groove striking out the next three batters to earn the save.
 
Game two
The Golden Eagles looked to take an early lead in the second game as Massa drew a walk and Mia Saucedo singled to short to put a pair of runners on with no outs. Tobola made a pair of good plays on the next two batters to throw out the runner at first before Rodriguez got the final batter swinging to keep the game scoreless heading to the second.
 
Dominican's first scoring opportunity of the game came as Salas drew a walk to lead off the top of the third and Lapinid singled up the middle to put two runners on with no outs, but Courtney Koelmans got a strikeout before her infield collected the next two outs to leave the runners stranded.
 
Cadena doubled in the top of the fourth to get another runner in scoring position but once again Koelmans escaped the inning with no damage as Rylie Rohr secured a popup at short. Rohr then led off the bottom of the frame with a solo shot to left center to give CUI the lead but Rodriguez sat down the next three batters in order. Nemeth homered to straightway center to add one more run to the lead in the bottom of the sixth and Daniela Alvarez came in to close the game with a pair of strikeouts in the top of the seventh.
 
Dominican will return home for Senior Day as it hosts Holy Names in a doubleheader beginning at noon PDT at Penguin Field.