ROCHESTER, Minn. — The UW-River Falls softball team kicked off its 2025 season at the Luther Dome Games in Rochester, Minn. this Saturday, March 2.
UW-River Falls was defeated in two narrow one-run games, falling to Hamline 4-3 and Luther 3-2.
UW-River Falls 3, Hamline 4
Despite a 10-3 advantage in hits for UWRF, Hamline managed a narrow victory over River Falls with a huge four-run third inning.
The Falcons took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, as sophomore Tessa Peterson scored the first run of the season with an RBI single that scored Kayla Dolan.
After the Pipers tied the game at 1-1, a three-run home run by Hamline put UWRF behind 4-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
Another RBI single by Peterson in the fourth and a Kelly Aultman solo home run in the sixth cut the deficit to 4-3. The Falcons managed to get three separate runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but ultimately were unable to score the tying run, as the team fell 4-3 in the season opener.
Peterson finished 3-3 with two RBIs, while Dolan went 2-3 and scored two runs. Lindsey Duggan pitched three scoreless innings in relief, allowing no hits and striking out one.
UW-River Falls 2, Luther 3
In the second game of the day, UWRF built up a 2-0 lead behind a second-inning error that scored Tessa Peterson and a fourth-inning sacrifice fly by Abby Pitts to score Peterson once again.
The Norse managed to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run. Just one inning later, a solo home run by Luther put UWRF down 3-2, a deficit that the Falcons were unable to overcome. River Falls put two runners on base in the final inning, but Luther managed to keep the Falcons from scoring a potential tying run.
Peterson led the way with a 2-3 performance at the plate, scoring two runs. Lindsey Duggan pitched 3.1 innings in the start, striking out four batters.
Next up, UWRF will head to Minneapolis to compete in the Auggie Dome Games next Friday and Saturday. The Falcons will have a doubleheader against Martin Luther on March 7 and a doubleheader against Crown College on March 8.
