SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Taylor Eby delivered a walk-off single to lift Dominican softball to a 6-5 victory in Monday's first game before Taylor Rodriguez shutout Chaminade for a 4-0 victory in the second game at Penguin Field.
 
Morgan Saucedo led the Penguins (17-14, 8-7 PacWest) from the plate going 2-for-4 with three RBI, a double, a stolen base and two walks. Kassidy Stetler earned the victory in the first game of the day pitching 4.2 innings in relief to move to 5-4 on the year, while Rodriguez struck out a career-high seven batteres in a complete game shutout to move to 7-2 on the year.
 
Game one
It was the Silverswords (4-28, 3-14 PacWest) who struck first on the day as Taryn Fujioka drew a lead-off walk before Miranda Diaz doubled to left center to bring her home for the 1-0 lead, but Diaz was thrown out at third trying to stretch the play into a triple and Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez got the final batter looking to limit the damage.
 
Alyssa Rue was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the second with Alexis Abalos entering to pinch run for her. After Abalos advanced on a groundout, Saucedo singled through the right side to bring her home for the tie. Another groundout allowed Saucedo to move to second and she stole third before Payton Oas singled back to the pitcher to bring her home for the 2-1 lead. The lead would be short lived as Fujioka homered to right field in the top of the third to tie the game and bring in Stetler. Tiare Guerrero cleared the bases as she began a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.
 
Melissa Garcia walked and Kate Tobola reached on a fielding error of a sacrifice bunt placed perfectly on the first-base line to put a pair of runners on with no outs in the bottom of the third. After a fielder's choice, Annabelle Burke singled to shallow right field to score one run with Guerrero occupying third base after the hit. Burke drew a throw down to second to allow Guerrero to go home for the 4-2 lead. The rain began to fall more steadily as the inning dragged on and the Penguins were able to take advantage by drawing a pair of walks. Taylor Eby was hit by a pitch to bring home another run and just as it looked like Dominican would add to its lead even more interference was ruled on a runner during the next at bat ending the inning with the 5-2 lead.
 
Chaminade benefitted from the rain in the top of the fourth drawing a pair of walks but Stetler quickly retired the next three batters to leave them stranded and preserve her lead. With two outs in the top of the sixth and the bases loaded, Fujioka dropped a single down the left-field line and the fielder slipped while attempting to pick up the ball allowing three runs to come home and tie the game 5-5. Saucedo cleanly fielded a ground ball on the next at bat to end the inning before the Silverswords could do anymore.
 
Alyssa Rue doubled down the third-base line with one out in the bottom of the seventh as Dominican looked for the game-winning run. A strike out kept the runner at second bringing up Saucedo who walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Taylor Eby singled up the middle under the glove of the diving second baseman and Kelissa Lee rounded third and slid in front of the throw to send the Penguins into celebration with the walk-off victory.
 
Game two
The wind picked up in the second game coming in from center field and the offenses struggled to adjust with no hits through the first three innings of the game. Chaminade looked poised to open the scoring yet again as Fujioka and Bailey Jacobsen singled to center field with a stolen base putting both in scoring position with no outs. Rodriguez shook off the inauspicious start of the inning to induce a groundout before striking out the heart of the order to end the frame with no runs crossing the plate.
 
Burke rode the momentum as she singled up the middle on the first pitch she saw before Leslie Ruiz doubled to the wall in left center to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Dominican with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Saucedo brought both runners home as she doubled to right field to take the 2-0 lead. Eby sent a slow groundball to first on the next at bat that was momentarily bobbled and Saucedo took advantage as the first baseman turned her back to touch her base coming home for the 3-0 lead. The move was rendered moot three pitches later as Rodriguez homered on a towering shot over the left-field fence to take the 4-0 lead.
 
The Silverswords looked for a path back as Fujioka singled in the top of the sixth and took second on a wild pitch, but Saucedo grabbed a line drive up the middle and flipped the ball to Guerrero at second for an inning ending double play to keep the shutout going. Rodriguez left no more to chance in the top of the seventh as she bookended the inning with a pair of strikeouts to secure her third shutout of the year.
 
Dominican and Chaminade will meet again Tuesday for the series finale at noon PDT at Penguin Field.