San Rafael, Calif - The Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles split their PacWest doubleheader against the Dominican Penguins on Friday afternoon in San Rafael, earning a strong 5–1 win in game one before falling in a tightly contested extra-inning battle, 3–2, in game two.
CUI 5, DUC 1
Concordia broke through in the third inning after Jessica Im helped spark the offense, leading to an RBI single from Kaliya Yco that was followed by a run-scoring single from Morgan Kneubuhler to give the Golden Eagles a 2–0 lead. Kneubuhler continued her standout weekend in the fifth inning, launching a two-run home run down the left-field line to extend the advantage to 4–0.
Kneubuhler finished the game with a huge offensive performance, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs while also adding an RBI double in the seventh inning to cap the scoring for CUI. Im also had an excellent day at the plate, collecting three hits and applying constant pressure on the bases.
In the circle, Jayden Nishi delivered another strong outing, throwing six innings while allowing just three hits and one run. Nishi consistently worked ahead in counts and kept Dominican off balance throughout the game. Kira Morris closed the door in the seventh inning to secure the win.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles turned three double plays, showcasing clean execution and strong situational awareness to limit Dominican scoring opportunities.The balanced effort highlighted Concordia's consistency on both sides of the ball, as the Golden Eagles controlled the pace of the game from the middle innings forward.
CUI 2, DUC 3
Game two proved to be much tighter, as Concordia once again jumped out early. Im opened the scoring in the third inning with an RBI single, and Caitlynn Campbell added an RBI double in the fourth to give CUI a 2–0 lead.
Kacie Gossett delivered a strong performance in the circle, holding Dominican scoreless through six innings while limiting hard contact and keeping the Penguins off balance. However, Dominican rallied late, tying the game in the seventh inning with a two-run home run to force extra innings.
Despite continued pressure from Concordia's offense—including multi-hit efforts from Audrey Robles and key baserunners throughout the game—the Penguins managed to walk off the game in the eighth inning on an RBI double.
The Golden Eagles finished with seven hits in the contest and continued to show strong offensive consistency across both games, while Gossett allowed just two earned runs over 7.1 innings in a competitive outing.
With the split, Concordia continues to build momentum in conference play, demonstrating depth both offensively and in the pitching rotation as the season progresses.
NEXT UP:
CUI will close out the series with a final doubleheader tomorrow against the Dominican Penguins, aiming to build on their solid offensive production and return to the win column before heading back to Southern California.
