LA MIRADA, Calif. – Dominican softball fell 9-5 and 2-0 Monday as it opened an 8-game Southern California road trip at Biola at Freedom Field.
 
Kate Tobola and Tiare Guerrero each went 2-for-4 in the first game with a stolen base with Tobola accounting for one run and Guerrero finishing with three runs. Alyssa Rue led the team with two RBI on a sacrifice fly and a double, with Leslie Ruiz and Annabelle Burke each collecting RBIs for the Penguins (14-12, 5-5 PacWest).
 
Game one
The Eagles (15-9, 9-1 PacWest) opened the scoring in the second game as Makayla Jordan drew a walk and Bridgette Trujillo's attempted sacrifice bunt ended up in the perfect spot for an infield single to put a pair of runners on. Jakie Ibarra singled through the left side to bring home Jordan for the 1-0 lead.
 
Tobola singled and stole second in the top of the third and Guerrero singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. After Guerrero stole second, Alyssa Rue sent a high fly ball into left center to bring home one with Guerrero advancing to third. Guerrero didn't need to wait long as a wild pitch made its way to the backstop and she came home for the 2-1 Dominican lead.
 
The Penguins held the lead into the fourth when Trujillo tripled to left field and Ibarra singled to bring her home and tie the game 2-2. A suicide squeez brough home another run before Raquel Reyes singled to left to drive in two more runs and take the 5-2 lead. Ibarra drove home another in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to four.
 
Guerrero led off the sixth with a single through the left side and Ruiz doubled to right center to bring her home with two outs. Taylor Eby walked and Alicia Garcia was hit by a pitch to load the bases bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Burke came in to pinch hit and singled into left field to bring home a run, but a mistake on the base paths allowed the Eagles to end the frame with the 6-4 lead.
 
Makayla Jordan cleared the bases in the bottom of the frame with a triple to extend the lead to five and though Rue was able to bring home Guerrero for one final run, the deficit was too large for the Penguins to overcomen.
 
Game two
The second game was a pitching duel between Taylor Rodriguez and Reyes as neither pitcher allowed a run through four innings. Ibarra continued to be the driver of the Biola offense as she singled to center in the bottom of the fifth. Alexa Medley attempted a sacrifice bunt that popped into the air in foul territory during the next at bat but Dominican was unable to track it down extending the life of the batter. Medley made the most of it as she tripled to right center to bring home the game's first run.  Kendall Nakano singled on the next pitch to bring her home for the 2-0 lead to give Reyes the cushion she needed to take home the win.
 
These two teams will meet again Tuesday at Freedom Field with the first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PDT.