HAYWARD, Calif. – Dominican softball split a doubleheader Wednesday with No. 15 Cal State East Bay after winning 2-0 in the first game and dropping a 4-1 decision in the second at Pioneer Softball Field.
 
Kassidy Stetler outdueled her counterpart in the first game to earn the first shutout of the season after allowing four hits in a complete game of work to move to 3-3 on the year for the Penguins (14-10). Kate Tobola had a home run and Alicia Garcia was part of two scoring plays on the day for Dominican.
 
Game one
Tobola homered over the left-field fence to get the Penguins off to an explosive start to the game. It was Tobola's second lead-off home run this season and put the pressure on pitcher Ashlee Toy who entered the game undefeated. After Alyssa Rue drew a walk, Leslie Ruiz singled through the left side with two outs to keep the offense rolling. Taylor Eby then drew a walk to load the bases and Alicia Garcia singled through the left side of the infield to bring in another run for the 2-0 lead. Toy got a popout on the next hitter to get out of the jam, but Dominican was riding the momentum.
 
Toy doubled to left center in the bottom of the frame trying to help herself back into the game, but Stetler shrugged it off and got a pair of outs to keep her on the base paths. After a walk put runners on the corners, Stetler grabbed a groundball back to the circle and threw to first to leave the inning undamaged. The pitchers continued to dominate the game over the next three frames when Gabriela Rivera singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the third. After a sacrifice bunt moved her over, Stetler kept the ball in the infield inducing a popout before again scooping up a groundball and throwing to first to end the inning.
 
The Pioneers (17-2) made a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth as Jeslyn Cuellar doubled to left and Jenna Porto singled to short stop to put runners on the corners. Stetler could not be rattled and needed only two pitches to get a popup that Tobola secured at third to end the frame. Dominican had a pair of two-out singles in the top of each of the next two frames, but Toy kept them stranded to keep CSUEB within striking distance. Stetler was better not allowing a hit for the remainder of the game to secure her first shutout of the season.
 
Game two
Marissa Quintero and Taylor Rodriguez were strong early as each allowed a single in the first inning but left runners stranded on the base paths. Alicia Garcia walked with two outs in the top of the second and Morgan Saucedo had a small bloop of a hit land right in front of the catcher with the throw to first hitting her in the back allowing Garcia to take a chance coming home. Garcia tried to go over the top of a low tag at the plate, but the umpire ruled the catcher caught a piece of her chest as she went by to record the final out of the frame.
 
The Pioneers utilized the momentum on the escape of disaster in the bottom of the inning as Ysabella Cortez homered to left field to bring home the first run of the game. Rivera, Toy and Annelise Garcia had three consecutive doubles to add two more runs before Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez came in and got out of the inning with a flyout to keep the Dominican deficit at 3-0.
 
Quintero and Torres-Gonzalez did not allow a base runner in either the third or fourth inning, but Payton Oas singled to short with one out in the top of the fifth for the Penguins to end the hitless drought for both teams. Melissa Garcia followed up with a single to shallow left field and Dominican looked like it had something going as it returned to the top of its lineup, but Quintero retired the next two batters in order to maintain her lead.
 
After another clean frame by Torres-Gonzaelez, Rue was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the sixth and Hailey Butcher delivered a single to shallow center field in a pinch-hit attempt for the Penguins. Quintero retired the next two batters, before Alicia Garcia sent a popup into no-man's land behind shortstop and a defensive miscommunication allowed the ball to drop and a run to come home and cut the lead to 3-1. Quintero rebounded and got the last batter swinging to shut the door on the potential Dominican rally to secure the victory.
 
The Penguins will hit the road to Southern California next as it takes Biola in a doubleheader on Monday at Freedom Field with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. PDT.