DECATUR, Ill. (February 27, 2022) - The Buena Vista University softball team took the field for a cool and brisk pair of games on Sunday morning and would leave the Millkin University campus with a split of games played against the host school as well as Carroll Univrsity (Wis.).

BVU faced off with Millikin in the 10am game and fell behind 3-0 in the third before the Big Blue, who were playing their season opener, added four more runs in the fifth to win 7-1.  The Beavers got on the board and cut it to a 3-1 deficit with their lone run in the fourth inning which came on a Rylee Cain sacrifice fly, scoring Jamie Wendt.  Senior Ashtyn Miller turned in two of the team's four hits in the contest by going 2-for-2 with a double while also drawing a walk.

Miller did suffer her first loss of the year inside of the circle, going 5.0 innings and being charged with all seven runs with only three being earned on six hits.  She did strikeout five and issed a pair of free passes.  Fellow senior Peyton Gross closed things out with a perfect sixth inning which included one punch out.

BVU was able to overcome some sloppy defense late in the game against the Pioneers after having built a 6-1 lead.  Carroll was able to chip away at the margin in the sixth inning with two runs, only one of which was earned, while later adding another unearned run in the seventh.  The Pioneers (0-1) had the tying run at the plate with only one out and a runner on third in the seventh, but Gross was able to complete the game with a fly out and a strikeout.  She finished the game scattering seven six hits and issuing only two earned runs while striking out a season-high seven and walking none.

After an RBI double put the Pioneers in front 1-0 in the first, the Beavers came right back in the bottom half with four runs, including a big two-run double by Nattie  Murillo to left centerfield that made it 4-1.  Then in the fourth inning, Murillo blasted her first home run of the year down the rightfield line to make it 5-1 before Miller connected on her first round tripper of the season to cap the scoring for BVU in the fifth.

Miller and Murillo each finished with two hits to help lead the charge offensively, while Carlee Guyett went 1-for-4 with her first triple of the year.  

Buena Vista now stands at 3-3 on the year and will return to action next Friday up inside the Dundas Dome at Dundas, Minn, where it will play a doubleheader against Bethel University.  The following day (March 5), BVU will play a pair of games against Macaelester College inside of the Rochester Dome in Rochester, Minn.