Box Score

The Falcon softball team opened play at the WIAC Tournament with an 8-0 six-inning win over UW-Stout on Friday.

The Falcons banged out 13 hits and pitcher Rose Tusa limited Stout to just four in the win.

The Falcons, now 26-12 overall, will play UW-Whitewater at noon at Gelein Field in Eau Claire on Saturday. Whitewater advanced with an 8-0 five inning win over UW-Platteville on Friday.

River Falls 8, Stout 0
The Falcons scored eight runs in 13 hits and made no errors. The Falcons scored three times in the first, twice in the second, once in the fourth and twice in the sixth.

The Falcons scored three runs on three hits in the first inning. Amanda Ryder singled to right with one out. Patty Olson walked and Nicole Lubahn pinch ran for Ryder. Ashley Goettl singled to right to score Lubahn with the first run. After a second out, Abbie Morris worked a walk to load the bases. Jessie Bester then came through with a single to left to score Olson and Goettl.

UWRF added two runs in the second to go ahead, 5-0. With one out Hayley Buchanan singled down the left field line and Ryder sacrificed her to second. Olson then doubled to left center to score Buchanan from second. Goettl lined a double over the right fielder's head to score Olson.

In Stout's half of the third the leadoff hitter doubled, but the Falcons turned a double play on a liner to Buchanan who threw to Lily Buckley covering second. Stout then got two hits, a single and a double to put runners on second and third. But pitcher Tusa got the last out on a fly out to left.

The Falcons added a run in the fourth when Ryder hit a solo homer to left. The opposite field homer was her second of the year. The Falcons had the bases loaded later in the inning but couldn't score again.

Stout's leadoff batter in the fifth singled to left, but Tusa got the next rhree hitters on a called third strike, a force out and a ground out.

The Falcons added two more runs in the sixth to win the game. Ryder led off with a single to right, her third hit of the game, and Haley Selkirk pinch ran. Olson singled to left to put runners on first and second. Kristy Martinson pinch ran for Olson. A ground out advanced the runners to second and third, Amber O'Connell then doubled to center to score Selkirk. Then Morris hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Martinson from third.

Ryder finished 3-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Goettl was 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored. O'Connell also finished 3-4 with a RBI. Bester had two RBI and Olson was 2-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.

Tusa went the distance and is now 19-5. She struck out three and walked one. It was her 12th complete game, and sixth shutout, of the year.