PELLA - The Buena Vista softball team put together late rallies in both games of Tuesday's American Rivers Conference doubleheader at Central College, but the Beavers came up on the short end of both contests, losing in walk-off fashion, 7-6, in the opener before dropping a 6-4 decision in the nightcap.

The Dutch opened up a big lead in game one, scoring four times in the second and once more in the third for a 5-0 advantage.  Kate Lesmeister put BVU on the board with the first of her two home runs in the game, making it 5-1.  Central, however, got that run right back in the bottom half on a throwing error to make it 6-1.

Lesmeister then belted a 2-run opposite field shot to right in the fifth that pulled BVU within 6-3, and then made it 6-4 when she singled home a run in the seventh.  The Beavers kept the late rally going, scoring another run on a throwing error by the catcher as Lesmeister stole second before tying things at 6-6 with a second unearned run.

Central then loaded the bases in the seventh and got a walk-off single to score the winning run.

Lesmeister finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and a pair of runs scored, Mason had a hit and scored two runs, and Sydney Carroll doubled as BVU tallied 10 hits in the contest.

Marissa Promes went the distance on the mound for the Beavers and has her record fall to 2-7.  Only two of the seven runs she allowed were earned as a result of five errors by the team, defensively.

The Dutch used another quick start in game two, scoring twice in the first and three more times in the second for another 5-0 cushion.  Brook Linderman put BVU on the board with an RBI double in the fourth, but a solo home run by Central in the bottom half kept it a five-run margin.

Mckynze Hansen's 2-run single in the sixth cut the Beaver deficit to 6-3 and then Linderman's RBI groundout in the seventh made it 6-4.  BVU did have the tying run on base with just one out, but a fly out and a ground out would leave runners at first and second.

Linderman and Hansen led the way as they each went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.  Mason also doubled and scored twice as the Beavers were edged in hits, 10-9.

Ashtyn Miller got the start in the circlt for BVU and was relieved after being charged with five runs and seven hits in just 1.2 innings of work.  Peyton Gross came on out of the bullpen and went the rest of the way, allowing a run on three hits while walking three and striking out three.

The two wins by Central push its season records to 12-4 overall and 4-0 in conference play while the Beavers drop to 14-10 on the year and 0-4 in A-R-C play.  BVU will look to end its four-game skid when it travels to Luther College for an A-R-C doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.  First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.