TURLOCK, Calif. – Dominican softball split its games on Friday with a 2-1 loss to No. 5 Cal State East Bay and a 2-1 win over Saint Martin's at Warrior Softball Field.
 
Taylor Rodriguez led the Penguins from the plate and the circle as she went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI, while allowing two earned runs over 9.2 innings pitched with eight strikeouts. Morgan Saucedo added hits in each game with a home run in the night cap.
 
Game 1
 
Much like the game the night before, the Pioneers and Penguins were involved in a low scoring affair with pitchers dominating for most of the game. Dominican thwarted an early scoring chance by CSUEB as Morgan Heggstrom caught Jeslyn Cuellar stealing third after a leadoff double before a pair of groundouts ended the frame. Heggstrom then put the Penguins in scoring position for the first time in the bottom of the second with a double to left, but she was left stranded after Jaidyn Gamble got the next batter swinging to end the threat.
 
Cuellar again provided a spark for the Pioneers in the top of the third with a single to right center before stealing second. Rylee Gomez then brought her home as she doubled to right center and advanced to third on an error. Rodriguez struck out the next batter looking to keep the lead from growing further.
 
Leslie Ruiz singled up the middle in the bottom of the fourth and Rodriguez followed up with a double to left to bring her home for the 1-1 tie. Gamble got a pair of popouts to end the frame with no further runs crossing. Cuellar pushed the Pioneers back in front as she homered with two outs in the top of the fifth. Gamble allowed runners on in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings but both times left them stranded there while Rodriguez did not allow another baserunner through the rest of the game.
 
Game 2
Kaylee Walker doubled for the Saints in the bottom of the first, but Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez struck out the next two batters to leave her there and get out of the inning. Saucedo homered to left field knowing it was gone off the bat to lead off the top of the third and give Dominican its first lead of the tournament.
 
Rodriguez singled up the middle in the top of the fourth with Karlyne Manuel coming in to pinch run. Manuel stole second and third with Heggstrom drawing a walk to put runners at the corners but a ground out ended the frame with the Penguins still clinging to its lead. A throwing error allowed Jules Detrinidad to get to third on the error. Layla Royle brought her home with a single to right to tie the game before Rodriguez entered and closed out the inning from the circle with no further damage.
 
Rodriguez pushed Dominican back into the lead immediately in the top of the sixth as she homered to left. Heggstrom singled and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the the Penguins with two outs, but SMU made a change in the circle and Keagan Norfleet was able to induce a fly out to left to get out of the jam. Dominican foiled another opportunity for the Saints in the bottom of the sixth as Ditrinidad laced a ball down the left-field line with a runner at first but Ruiz was able to gather and throw to third to get the lead runner and end the frame.
 
Dominican concludes play at the Stan State Invitational against Central Washington on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Warrior Softball Field.