Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TURLOCK, Calif. — The 2013 Dominican University of California women's softball team was tested right off the bat. They faced two tough nationally-ranked CCAA programs in last year's co-champs — No. 11 Cal State Dominguez Hills and No. 17 Cal State Monterey Bay — to open up play at the Best of the West Invitational hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The Lady Penguins went 1-1 to open the season with a 6-0 loss to the Toros and a 5-4.

Cal State Dominiguez Hills, the preseason CCAA favorite, struck first. Brittany Brenner started the second inning with a leadoff homer. Junior pitcher Karly Harris then issued back-to-back walks, which both became runs on Adriana Sanchez's double to right center. Harris escaped further trouble by inducing a lineout to first baseman Kayleigh Klingberg to leave another pair stranded.

After a Tori Johnson walk in the first, six consecutive Dominican batters were retired via strikeout, until Marissa Cordisco drew a walk in the third.

The Toros struck again for a run in the fifth off of freshman pitcher Ashlyn Moriarity, then broke things open in the sixth inning. Harris reentered with a runner on. Christina Chavez then doubled to put runners on second and third. Sanchez tried to score from third on a wild pitch but catcher Dominique Perry retrieved the ball and fired to Harris, who applied the tag at home. Harris gave up an RBI double to the next batter though and the Toros broke things open to make it 6-0.

Johnson recorded a two-out single to left in the sixth and Leslie Mesa singled to right in the seventh but that's as much as Dominican would get against the Toros.

The Lady Penguins' bats awoke  Cal State Monterey Bay. After the Otters struck first for a run in the top of the first, the Lady Penguins answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kayla Rodriguez started things with a walk and stole second. Johnson drew another walk and Kayleigh Klingberg singled Rodriguez home from third to even the score. Dominique Perry grounded out, which plated Klingberg, then Moriarity singled through the right side to drive home Klingberg.

Rodriguez drew another walk in the second and Klingberg connected for her first home run of the season to put the Lady Penguins up 5-1.

The home run would prove necessary. The Otters chipped away with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to pull within 5-4. Karly Harris earned the win and Moriarity pitched three shuout innings in relief and piled up five strikeouts, including one that ended the game.

“We're proud of the girls and the way that they bounced back after a tough first game,” said Head Coach Sarah Iwata, who earned her first victory as a collegiate head coach on Saturday. “We came out swinging and lever let up. The pitchers kept the ball down and let the defense work for them.”

The Lady Penguins continue play on Sunday when they face two more CCAA teams, San Francisco State and Chico State. First pitch vs. the Gators is slated for 10:15 a.m. while gametime vs. Chico State is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.