The Falcon softball team split a doubleheader at UW-La Crosse on Friday afternoon. The Falcons won the first game 7-0, in eight innings, and the Eagles came back and won the second game of the series 4-0.

River Falls 7. La Crosse 0

Rose Tusa (Roseville, MN, St. Anthony Village) had a stellar performance on the mound for the Falcons and is now 5-5.  She pitched seven complete innings. Tusa faced 25 batters giving up only three hits and one walk. Tusa had a no hitter going until the fifth inning. She finished the game with nine strike-outs. Only three runners reached second base against Tusa. She gave up singles in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. La Crosse was held scoreless for the first time in 2011.

Despite Tusa's performance, the score was tied at zero and went into an extra inning.  The Falcons got it going right away with Alyssa Black getting to second after a throwing error.  Black went 1-4 and scored the game winning run. The Falcons scored six more times in the eighth. They scored seven runs on seven hits and two Eagle errors in the big inning.

Haley Selkirk (Northfield, MN, Northfield) went 2-4 in the game with one RBI and one run scored. Ashley Goettl (North Mankato, MN, West) was also 2-4 and she had one RBI and a run scored. Three Falcons had doubles in the game – Hayley Buchanan (Eden Prairie, MN, Eden Prairie), Goettl and Patty Olson (Roseville, MN, Roseville).

Nikki Osmonson (Otsego, MN, Rogers) would pitch in relief for Tusa in the eighth.  Osmonson faced five batters in the inning giving up one hit, one walk, and no runs completing the shutout.

The Falcons scored seven runs on nine hits and made one error. UWL had four hits and made two errors.

River Falls 0, La Crosse 4

La Crosse wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles would have three hits in the inning all coming with two outs. They would score one run and left two on base. UWL scored single runs in the first and sixth and two in the fourth.

Buchanan would go 2-3 in the game with a double in the first and a single in the sixth inning. Olson would also go 2-3 in the game.

Jamie Klein (Elk River, MN, Elk River) would get the loss in the game pitching for the Falcons. In 3.1 innings she gave up eight hits but only three earned runs. Tusa worked the final 2.2 innings and allowed five hits and one earned run. She struck out three.

The Falcons, now 7-12 overall and 1-1 in the WIAC, will play a WIAC doubleheader at UW-Platteville on Saturday. The first pitch will be thrown at 2 p.m.