The Falcon softball team beat La Crosse, 2-1, to remain undefeated in the WIAC Tournament on Saturday. The Falcons are the only unbeaten team left in the six team double elimination tournament.
The Falcons will play the winner of the Eau Claire-La Crosse game at noon on Sunday at Ramer Field. If the Falcons win the game, they will be the WIAC Tournament champions. If the Falcons would lose, a second game, against the same team, would be played about 20 minutes after the end of the noon game. The winner of that game would be the WIAC Tournament champions.
In the win over La Crosse, the Falcons scored two runs on six hits and made no errors. UWRF scored single runs in the first and third innings. UWL scored one run on seven hits and they made one error. The Eagles scored in the third.
In the first,
Patty Olson (Roseville, MN, Roseville) led off with a double to right.
Nicole Lubahn (Wanamingo, MN, Kenyon-Wanamingo) sacrificed her to third.
Hayley Buchanan (Eden Prairie, MN, Eden Prairie) grounded out to short and Olson scored on the play for the game's first run.
The Falcons scored what proved to be the game winning run in the third. With one out, Olson singled to right and Lubahn sacrificed her to second. Buchanan came through with a clutch two-out single to right to score Olson.
Rose Tusa (Roseville, MN, St. Anthony Village) was outstanding on the mound for the Falcons. She worked all seven innings and allowed just the one earned run on seven hits. She struck out two and walked two. Tusa picked up her 18th win of the season, against six losses, and the 18 wins ties her for the most wins in a single season.
Ashley Bertrand won 18 games in 2008.
The Falcon defense played very well behind Tusa. Lubahn threw two La Crosse base runners out at home - one in the second and one in the third to end the innings and kill Eagle rallies. Buchanan made a diving catch of a bunt in the seventh inning and
Ashley Goettl (North Mankato, MN, West) made a diving catch of a soft liner in foul territory in the sixth.
The Falcons remain perfect in games at Ramer Field this year - they are now 13-0.
Box Score
