SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican softball split its doubleheader with Cal Poly Humboldt taking Wednesday's first game 8-6 before dropping an 11-2 decision in game two at Penguin Field.
 
Leslie Ruiz went off for the Penguins (14-14) finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI at the plate. Alexis Verduzco entered in relief for the first game and secured the victory allowing one hit and no earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched.
 
Game one
The Jacks (10-15) were consistent to start the game as Hailee Moore tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 lead after one inning. Bella Garcia singled home another run in the second inning to extend the lead to 2-0, but Marina Medina and Ruiz each doubled in the bottom of the frame to keep Dominican within one.
 
The Jacks scored on another sacrifice fly in the top of the third before Katlyn Gifford homered to right with a runner on to extend the lead to 5-1. The Penguins were unfazed as Leila Benson walked and Kate Tobola doubled to center to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Annabelle Burke singled to bring a runner home and then stole second to keep the pressure on. Tobola scored on a groundball to second with Medina bringing home Burke as she singled to left to make it 5-4. The next two batters walked to load the bases and Tiare Guerrero singled off the second base bag with two outs to drive in two to take the 6-5 lead. Benson singled to first base as she beat the diving fielder to the bag to allow Kelissa Lee to come home from third for the 7-5 lead.
 
Cal Poly Humboldt cut into the lead again in the top of the fourth as Alexa Garcia doubled down the right-field line and Alyssa Ramirez singled to right to bring her home, but Mia Souza did not allow another run to score leaving a pair of runners stranded. The Jacks held Dominican in check in the bottom of the frame and Gifford and Matea Muraoka singled with one out to put the tying run in scoring position when Verduzco entered the circle. Bella Garcia singled up the middle but Giffor was thrown out at home by Lee from center field before Lee tracked down another long fly ball to center to end the inning and hand the Jacks their first inning of the game without a run.
 
Magnuson doubled down the left-field line with Payton Oas coming in to run for her at second. After Oas moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, Ruiz executed a perfect squeeze bunt pushing the ball back towards the pitcher and Oas used her speed to beat the ball home to extend the lead to 8-6. Verduzco did not need the insurance as she retired the side in the sixth and seventh to secure the victory.
 
Game two
The Penguins struck first in the second game as Medina walked with Manuel coming in to pinch run. Manuel stole second and advanced to third on a fly out before coming home on a sacrifice fly to take the 1-0 lead after two innings. Nayellys Torres-Gonzalez kept the Jacks offense in check through four innings allowing only one hit, but Cal Poly Humboldt finally found some offensive mojo in the fifth.
 
Ramirez doubled to bring home the tying run and putting runners at second and third. Bella Garcia singled home the go-ahead run and a wild pitch scored a third. Shelby Shanks brought home one more to take the 4-1 lead before Kelissa Lee grabbed a line drive and threw to second to catch Shanks off the bag to end the frame. Dominican loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth as they looked to mount another comeback, but a groundball to third allowed Humboldt to get the runner at home before a flyout ended the frame with no damage.
 
The Jacks added two more runs in the top of the sixth and they would add five more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach for the Penguins.

Dominican will turn its attention back to PacWest play as it takes hosts Menlo for a Saturday doubleheader at Penguin Field with first pitch set for noon PDT.