Softball | 3/20/2015 9:38:00 AM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Falcon softball team finished its Florida spring trip with a split in two games on Friday afternoon.

UWRF played the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, Tufts, and lost a close 2-1 decision in the first game. The Falcons came back to beat Worcester, 4-1, in the second game. The Falcons finished 5-5 in their 10 games in Florida. 

The Falcons, now 9-9 overall, will return to Wisconsin on Saturday and play a non-conference doubleheader at Bethel University on Thursday. Action starts at 3 p.m.

Tufts 2, River Falls 1 
The Falcons battled the nation's No. 1 ranked team to the last out in a classic college softball contest. 

Tufts scored a single, unearned, run in the fourth on a single, the runner advancing to second on a wild pitch and a Falcon error. 

The Falcons got the run back in the sixth when Shannan Borchardt led off with a double to left center. It was the team's first hit of the game. Hannah Zurn pinch ran. With two outs Abbie Morris doubled to right center to score Zurn. 

Tufts scored the winning run in the sixth using a walk and three singles. 

The Falcons threatened in the seventh inning. Michelle LaCasse singled with one out. Megan Svir pinch ran and went to second on a wild pitch. But she was stranded there when the next two batters were retired. 

Brooke Lauritzen had a great game on the mound for the Falcons against a team that was hitting .374 and had a .512 slugging percentage. She went the distance and allwed just six hits, all singles. She struck out six and walked three. Just one of the two runs she allowed was earned. She is now 4-3.

Tufts pitcher, Allyson Fournier, who entered the game with a 6-0 record and had not allowed an earned run this year, also went the distance. She allowed just the three hits, walked one and struck out 11. The two Falcon doubles were just the second and third extra base hits she has allowed. 

River Falls 4, Worcester State 1 
The Falcons bounced back to get a win in the second game with the help of a big sixth inning. 

WS scored a single run in the first inning using two singles, a wild pitch and an infield ground out. 

The Falcons had runners in scoring position in the fifth but failed to score. With one out Borchardt singled to left and Svir pinch ran. Kati Stodolka bunted for a hit and Svir advanced to second on the play. After a second out the two each advanced a base on a wild pitch. But a ground out ended the threat. 

The Falcons scored four runs in the sixth to take control of the contest. Morris led off with a single to left and Katie Thompson walked. Callie Looft sacrified them ahead one base and then Morris scored, and Thompson went to third, on a wild pitch. Abby Veloske then pinch hit and she reached first on an infield single that scored Thompson. Borchardt then came through with a home run to left to make it a 4-1 game. It was her first homer of the year and the first of her collegiate career. 

Morris went the distance on the mound to get the win. She allowed one earned run and six hits. She struck out six and didn't walk a batter. She now has a 5-5 record. 

Borchardt finished 2-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. The Falcons scored four runs on eight hits and did not commit an error.