The Falcon softball team split a crucial doubleheader on Monday at UW-Superior. After taking the early game 4-3, the Falcons fell 3-2 to the Yellowjackets in game two.
The defeat in game two put an end to the Falcons' nine game winning streak, which ties the third longest streak in school history.
The loss also threatened the Falcons spot atop the WIAC standings, but they received some help from UW-La Crosse as the Eagles swept UW-Eau Claire keeping the Falcons alone in first place. The Falcons remain one-half game ahead of UW-Whitewater for first place in the WIAC.
River Falls 4, Superior 3
Rose Tusa (Roseville, MN, St. Anthony Village) went the distance in game one, picking up her 11th victory of the season. As of last Sunday, Tusa ranked 10th in the nation in strikeouts-per-game and 17th in ERA. The junior added six more strikeouts in her complete game victory, giving her 148 on the season.
The Falcons opened up scoring in the second as Alyssa Black (Mankato, MN, West) connected with a one-out double to left field. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Shawna Middleton (Hastings, MN, Hastings) brought home Black with an RBI single to put the Falcons up 1-0.
Ashley Goettl (North Mankato, MN, West) extended the Falcons lead in the top of the fourth with her WIAC-leading eighth home run of the season. Goettl's solo shot to start the fourth inning extended her hitting streak to 12 games as well as scoring at least one run in each of the last eight contests.
The Yellowjackets put up a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth, but their 3-2 lead was short-lived as the Falcons bounced right back in the fifth. A pair of bunt singles and a Yellowjacket error loaded the bases for Hayley Buchanan (Eden Prairie, MN, Eden Prairie) with one out.
Buchanan has been one of the most clutch hitters for the Falcons all year, hitting .419 with runners in scoring position. She came through again in the fifth as she delivered her team-best eighth double of the season to score two runs, proving to be the game-winner in the 4-3 victory.
Superior 3, River Falls 2
The Falcons never held the lead in game two as they fell 3-2 to Superior, marking their first loss in over two weeks. The Falcons tied the score on two separate occasions, but the Yellowjackets had a quick answer in both the third and fifth innings to recapture the lead.
Dana Book (Brooklyn Center, MN, Champlin Park) went 2-3 with a double and a triple, scoring both Falcon runs. Patty Olson (Roseville, MN, Roseville) had the lone RBI on the day as she brought home Book with an RBI single in the fifth.
The Falcons had one final shot in the top of the seventh but came up short, stranding a runner on third base in the final frame.
Sarah Bohlen (Rochester, MN, Mayo) took the loss on the mound. She worked five innings and allowed nine hits and three earned runs. She struck out two and walked one. She is now 2-1. Tusa worked a perfect final inning and she struck out two.
The loss drops the Falcons to 17-12 overall and 8-2 in the WIAC. The Falcon doubleheader at UW-Eau Claire scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed and will now be played on Thursday. The first pitch in the important twin bill will be thrown at 4 p.m.
