Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Falcon softball team opened its season spliting two games played Sunday at the Rochester Dome.

UWRF opened with a 5-0 win over Cornell College. In the second game Gustavus Adolphus took a 3-1 win.

River Falls 5, Cornell 0
The Falcons got a great early-season pitching performance from Rose Tusa and the Falcons hit three homers to get the win.

Tusa allowed just one hit, a double to left center in the sixth inning. She pitched all seven innings, walked two and struck out seven.

UWRF scored its five runs on eight hits and made no errors in the field. Jessie Bester finished 3-3 with with a run scored and one RBI. She hit a solo homer with one out in the second inning. Ashley Goettl was 2-4 with two RBI. She hit a solo homer to center to lead off the fourth inning. She also singled home a run in the seventh. Shawna Middleton hit the other homer - that was a solo shot to center with two out in the sixth.

"This was a great way to open the season," said Falcon Coach Faye Perkins after the game. "We had no errors and got some power hitting. Rose will be a workhourse for us and she did an exceptional job today."

Gustavus Adolphus 3, River Falls 1
GAC scored three runs in the top of the seventh to get the come-from-behind win.

RF, which finished the game with six hits, took a 1-0 lead in the third when Amber O'Connell hit a line drive homer to left to lead off the inning. She hit the homer in her first collegiate at bat and on the first pitch she saw.

The Gusties had just one hit through the first six innings against Tusa. But in their last at bat they scored three runs on three hits and two Falcon errors.

Tusa pitched six innings and allowed just the three hits with two coming in the seventh. She stuck out four and didn't walk a batter. Sarah Bolen worked one inning and allowed one hit. She walked one and struck out one.

"We got some solid play from the left side of our infield that had some new faces in the lineup," said Perkins. "We have a very tough schedule this year and we will need to bring our A game ot every contest. Bottom line, the two games were an excellent start."

The Falcons will next play St. Thomas on March 4 at the Rosemount Dome.