SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican softball opened its series with a doubleheader split with Vanguard, falling 5-3 in the first game before winning 7-4 in the second game at Penguin Field.
 
Taylor Rodriguez led the Penguins (9-6, 1-1 PacWest) to their victory going 2-for-2 from the plate with two RBI and pitching a complete game from the circle. Alyssa Rue went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Alicia Garcia added a 2-for-3 performance in the second game with two RBI and a run scored.
 
Game one
Kassidy Stetler was dealing early as she retired the Lions' (5-9, 1-1 PacWest) first 11 batters with four strikeouts. Garcia was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the third and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kate Tobola stepped to the plate for the first time of the season and doubled to the wall in center field to bring her home for the 1-0 Dominican lead.
 
The Lions finally shook off the no-hitter in the top of the fourth as Mia Hernandez homered over the left-field fence to tie the game and Adrianna Portillo and Aeri Corral singled to keep the 2-out rally going. Lilyana Roth doubled off the left-field fence to bring home Portillo to take the 2-1 lead, but Morgan Heggstrom was able to grab a pop fly near the plate to end the inning for the Penguins. Alyssa Rue responded in the bottom of the frame as she homered to left center to tie the game 2-2 for Dominican.
 
Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez entered and also started hot against Vanguard retiring the first six batters she faced. Marina Medina doubled to center field in the bottom of the sixth to put a runner in scoring position as Alexis Abalos entered to pinch run. Rue singled to shallow center and Abalos slid underneath the tag at the plate to push the Penguins in front 3-2.
 
The top of the seventh proved disastrous for Dominican as Corral walked and Roth laid down an attempted sacrifice bunt but the throw to get the lead runner at second bounced in front of second allowing both runners to reach safely. After another sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position, Megan Ireland and Andrea Connnor singled to bring home three runs and take the 5-3 lead. Heggstrom singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh and Garcia looked poised to tie the game as she sent a long fly ball to right, but Roth made the grab at the wall for the first out of the inning and Mia Iacomini went on to earn the victory for the Lions not allowing another run to cross.
 
Game two
Dominican shook off the disappointment of the series opener to get off to a quick start in the second game. Tiare Guerrero provided a spark on defense knocking a ball up the middle down before scooping it, touching second and throwing to first for the inning-ending double play. Guerrero then singled to short on a high hop in the bottom of the frame to spark the offense. After Rue walked, Taylor Rodriguez singled to left to bring home Guerrero for the 1-0 lead. A fielding error allowed Rue to come home from second and give Dominican the 2-0 lead.
 
Kelissa Lee flashed the leather in left field in the next two innings as she robbed Roth of a double with a diving grab in left center, before down the same in the top of the third this time making the diving catch in foul territory and the Penguins kept the Lions off the base paths in both frames.
 
Dominican's offense flexed its muscles again in the bottom of the fifth as Garcia singled to right field to lead off before stealing second during the next at bat. Guerrero singled down the left-field line to advance Garcia and an error on the fielding attempt allowed her to round third and come home for the 3-0 lead. Rue singled  down the left field line and stole second to put two into scoring position. Roth then provided a highlight grab for Vanguard as she dove to catch a ball in right center that appeared poised to drop in the gap and while Guerrero scored, Rue left moments early and was doubled out at second to end the inning with Dominican leading 4-0.
 
After another clean inning for Rodriguez in the circle, Taylor Eby singled to short as the ball took a sideways bounce and Aneesa Brewer singled through the left side to put two on with no outs. After a wild pitch advanced both, Tobola laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate  to bring home Eby. Tobola stole second and Garcia singled to center to plate two more runs to make it 7-0 heading to the seventh.
 
The Penguins let down their guard in the top of the seventh and the Lions took advantage scoring four runs, but the lead was too much for them to overcome as Rodriguez moved to 4-0 on the season.
 
Dominican and Vanguard will return to Penguin Field for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon PST.