BRISBANE, Calif. – Dominican softball closed the 2024 season Friday with 4-3 and 1-0 losses to Academy of Art at Mission Blue field.
 
It was not the results the Penguins were hoping for as they fought to keep their postseason hopes alive. Taylor Rodriguez was the only player for Dominican to have multiple hits on the afternoon finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Alyssa Rue and Olivia Lee recorded the only RBI for the Penguins in the first game with Rue's coming via a clutch double in the top of the seventh.
 
Both games proved to be pitching duels for the most part. Dominican struck first in game one as Mariah Hopkins drew a walk to put a lead runner on. Payton Oas came in as the pinch runner advancing on a sacrifice bunt before Lee singled back up the middle to bring her home from second for the 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Shelby Keltner left lead off doubles stranded in the bottom of the third and fourth innings as she held the slim lead.
 
The troubles came in the bottom of the sixth as a lead off double was followed by a bunt single before a walk and a wild pitch brought the tying run in. Another walk loaded the bases once again. Things turned from bad to worse quickly as a routine throw home to get a force out was not recorded as the catcher did not touch the plate and a throwing error scored another run putting the Penguins in a 3-1 hole heading to the seventh.
 
Dominican would not go down so easily as Rodriguez singled through the right side and Rue doubled to left center to bring home a pinch runner and cut back within one. Just as it looked like the game would come to an end a high fly ball to left center was dropped allowing Rue to score from second to tie the game 3-3. The momentum was short lived as Kayla Vaughan and Alexis Folks doubled to bring home the walk-off run for the 4-3 victory.
 
The second game evolved in a similar manner with the two teams remaining scoreless through five complete innings before Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki singled and Haley Randall doubled to score the lone run of the game for the Urban Knights to win 1-0.