SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- The first Pacific West Conference softball doubleheader for Vanguard ended in a split as the team beat Dominican University of California 5-3 in game one but fell in game two 7-4.  The Lions trailed 3-2 in the top of the seventh in the opening contest but plastered three runs on the scoreboard to tally the win.  Yet VU could not repeat the comeback feat in game two, as though the team scored four in the top of the seventh, it was not enough to overcome the 7-0 deficit the squad faced.  The Lions end the day at 5-9 overall and are 1-1 to start PacWest play. Dominican goes to 9-7, 1-1. 
 
VU 5 DU 3  Brianna Williams got the call for the first game and she kept Dominican off the board through two innings, but the Penguins jumped on top in the bottom of the third.  Williams hit the leadoff hitter and a sacrifice bunt and a double brought her home to put VU behind.  But the offense found its footing in the top of the fourth as Mia Hernandez rocketed her first home run of the season over the fence in left field to level the score at 1-1.  Adriana Portillo followed that with a single and Aeri Corral beat out a grounder to shortstop to put runners at first and second with two outs.  Lilyana Roth was the next hitter and she powered the Lions to a 2-1 lead with a double off the left-field fence.  However, the Penguins countered with a home run of their own to level the score at 2-2.
 
Mia Iacomini replaced Williams to start the bottom of the fifth and had a clean frame, but DUC used a double and a single to bound to a 3-2 advantage in the bottom of the sixth.  Yet the Blue and Gold had a big answer in the top of the seventh to flip the team's fortune.
 
Corral took a leadoff walk and Roth reached on a fielder's choice, with Corral sliding safely in at second base due to a throwing error.  A sacrifice bunt by Adrianna Natividad pushed the runners ahead one base and Megan Ireland delivered the initial heroics by slashing a single up the middle to score Corral.  With the game tied at 3-3, Andrea Connor produced the game-winning hit by slashing a single to score both Roth and Ireland to launch the Lions ahead 5-3.
 
The Penguins got a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh and then a one-out walk to put runners on first and second, but Iacomini got a fly out and a pop out in foul territory to nab a 5-3 win for VU.
 
The Lions scored five runs off six hits, had one error, and left two runners left on base.  Dominican had three runs, five hits, one error, and four runners left aboard.  Iacomini grabbed the win to improve to 2-1 on the season after going three innings.  Williams fanned two hitters in four innings of work.  Six different Lions had hits and Connor lifted VU with a team-high two RBI. 
 
VU 4 DU 7 The Penguins got to LeeAnne Miranda in the bottom of the first as the home side registered two singles, a walk, and benefitted from a VU error to put the hosts up 2-0 after one full inning.  Unfortunately for Vanguard, Dominican starter Taylor Rodriguez had her stuff dialed, and though the Penguin's starter only had one strikeout, she helped her defense and gave up only one hit through six innings.
 
DUC scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth and tagged on three more runs on four knocks in the bottom of the sixth to lead 7-0 entering the top of the seventh.  But the Blue and Gold started to solve Rodriguez in the bottom half in an attempt to climb mount comeback.
 
Kamryn Walker singled up the middle with one out and Hernandez blasted a double to center field to score Walker and cut the gap to 7-1.  Portillo then mashed a double down the right-field line to put runners on second and third and with two outs and Roth shot a single to left to cash in both VU runners to make it a 7-3 game.  Roth then scooted to second on a wild pitch and a fielding error allowed Ireland to reach first safely while Roth chugged home to make it a 7-4 contest.  However, Rodriguez got the next out to end the ball game and force a split on day one of the series.
 
Dominican scored seven runs on 11 hits, had one error, and left four runners on base.  VU scored four runs on five hits, had two errors, and had one runner left on base.  Five of the seven runs were charged to Miranda (1-2), who had four Ks in the second game.  Rodriguez (4-0) threw 72 pitches to go the distance and record the win.  Walker went 2-for-3 to pace Vanguard in the twinbill.
 
What's Next?  The Lions play the Penguins again tomorrow in a noon doubleheader to finish off the series.