The Falcon softball team came up just short losing a 3-2 game to Luther College in a NCAA Regional final played in Pella, Iowa on Monday.

The Falcons end their season with a 34-15 record. The 34 wins is a school record. Luther advances to the Championship series for the third straight year and have a 40-7 record.

Luther 3, River Falls 2 
Luther scored two unearned runs in the first inning and added a single run in the fourth. The Falcons scored both of its runs in the sixth. UWRF scored two runs on four hits and made two errors. The Norse scored three runs on six hits and made one error. 

The Norse scored two runs in the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. The Norse scored the unearned runs with two errors and two singles.

In the Falcon first Amanda Ryder drew a walk with one out. With two outs Ashley Goettl hit a fly to deep left that was caught on the warning track to end the inning.

In the Luther third the Norse got a runner to third before the inning ended. After an out, a double to right put a runner on second. The runner advanced to third on a fly out to left center, but the last out came on a ground out to short. 

Luther scored a single run in the fourth to go ahead, 3-0. The lead off batter reached on an infield single and was sacrificed to second. After a second out, the next batter singled to left to score the runner from second.

With two outs in the fifth a Norse batter doubled to left center, but the next batter struck out swinging to end the threat. 

The Falcons got their first hit in the fifth when Amber O'Connell singled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Jessie Bester sacrificed O'Connell to second. But the next batter struck out and the third out came by a ground out to end the inning.

The Falcons got back in the game in the sixth scoring twice. Hayley Buchanan led off with a bloop single down the right field line and Ryder dropped a single  to left field to put runners on first and second with none out. Nicole Lubahn pinch ran for Ryder. After an out the Falcons scored a run when a wild pitch advanced the runners a base and a throwing error on the play brought Buchanan home and Lubahn to third. Patty Olson then had a great at bat fouling off several pitches before dropping a single into left field to score Lubahn.

The Falcons went down one-two-three in the seventh. 

Tusa pitched all seven innings and allowed three runs - just one was earned. She allowed six hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter. She ends the season with a 27-8 record. The 27 wins is a school record. 

Falcons named to the Regional All-Tournament team were Buchanan, Ryder, Goettl and Tusa.