Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 It had been 358 days since the UW-River Falls softball team last got to take the diamond and they started off with a bang, winning the first game of a doubleheader with Bethany Lutheran 4-2 in a game played in Mankato, MN. The Falcons nearly swept the day but fell in game two 4-3 in eight innings.
GAME 1
In the first game on the day, UW-RF didn't take too long to strike first. After sophomore
Lindsey Strom drew a walk to begin the inning,
Chapin Rappaport grounded out but advanced Strom, a movement that would prove crucial. After seeing a pitch that caught too much of the plate,
Megan Halvorson roped a double into the outfield, sending Strom across the plate for the first run of the game.
The 1-0 lead held until the 4th inning when the Vikings were able to score an unearned run after a fielding gaffe, but the Falcons refused to let the game stay tied. As the top of the 4th inning came around, it was Bethany Lutheran who committed an error, this one with two outs to allow
Rebecca Daley to reach first. That tiny mistake was all the Falcons needed as
Natalie Bosch doubled home a run in the next at bat. Not to be outdone, after a walk of
Molly Kaspar,
Tayler Fall picked up two RBIs with a well hit double to put the Falcons up 4-1.
Bethany Lutheran was able to pick up one more run in the final inning, but that was all they were able to muster off of
Tayler Fall, who was steady in the circle on the day. The senior pitched a complete game, giving up 2 runs, 1 earned, while recording 5 strikeouts. The win was the first season opening win for the Falcons since the 2018 season.
GAME 2
The encore game proved to be a much tighter affair, one that required extra innings to decide it.
Neither team could quite get their offense going through the first four innings with both getting a few baserunners on but never really threatening to score. In the 5th inning, however, both teams connected the bat to the ball. The Falcons went first, with
Keegan Piton doubling home two runs to put her squad up. The Vikings were able to answer with three hits and two runs of their own, knotting things up at 2-2. After two more scoreless innings, the teams played some extra softball.
Daley was placed on second to start the inning for UW-RF and advanced on a Bosch sacrifice bunt. In the next at bat, Kaspar grounded out to 3rd, but did enough to get Daley across the plate to take the lead. Down one, the Vikings took their turn at the plate after picking up a third out and were able to do one better than the Falcons. Down to their last out with two baserunners on, Brynja Mielke sent the ball into center field and gave Bethany Lutheran the walk off win.
While she took the loss on the day, UW-RF sophomore pitcher
Juliana Reynolds impressed with 12 strikeouts in the complete game effort.
Now 1-1 on the season, the Falcons will take on the same Vikings next Saturday, March 6 in another doubleheader, this time in Rochester, MN. Game one is set for 5pm.
