STORM LAKE, Iowa (Mar. 4, 2023) - The Buena Vista softball team will head further west from the Arizona desert this season for its annual spring break trip and go all the way out to California where it will play 10 games, including four doubleheaders over a 7-day stretch beginning on Sunday, Mar. 5.
BVU opens the trip with a pair of games at Claremont Mudd-Scripps on Sunday and will also play doubleheaders at University of La Verne (Mar. 7), at Chapman University (Mar. 11) and at Whittier College (Mar .12). It will also play a single game at Pomonza-Pitzer on Mar. 10 while also taking on Manhattanville College (N.Y.) at the same location earlier that same day. Those six teams are currently a combined 21-18 on the year.
The Beavers (2-6) are coming off a 2-2 trip to the Mankato Dome last weekend where it played against Division III competition for the first time this season. Nattie Murillo, the reigning A-R-C Position Player of the Year, is off to strong start at the plate, hitting a team-high .346 overall with a pair of doubles, a home run and five RBI in 27 plate appearances.
Paige Druskis is right behind with a .321 average and is tied with Murillo for the team-lead in hits (9) and with
Jamie Wendt in runs scored (4).
Rylee Cain, who's third on the team with a .296 average, leads the way with seven RBI.
BVU is looking to gain more experience over the trip for its young pitching staff. Junior
Kennedi Claycomb has started all four games she has appeared in so far and helps lead the way with a 1-2 record and a 2.43 ERA over 23 innings of work. Freshman
Emma LaFave is next with 11.1 innings pitched and has also earned the team's other win.
Rylie Garner has worked 9.1 innings. As a staff, the Beavers currently have an ERA of 4.41 over 54 total innings.
Claremont Mudd-Scripps, which is the team's first opponent of the week-long trip, takes the field sporting a 5-2 record with six of those seven games being played on its home field. It's lone road defeat came in its last game, March 3, a 6-0 setback at Division II Azusa Pacific. The Athens have scored 37 total runs in seven games with 10 extra-base hits and 77 total bases. Destiny Garcia has helped lead the way by going 10-for-17 out of the gate (.588). Madison Gonzalez has connected for two of the team's three home runs.
Following the spring trip, BVU will make its way back up to Minnesota on Mar. 18-19 for doubleheaders against both Northwestern (Minn.) and Saint Benedict, respectively. The home home opener follows the following weekend (Mar. 25) against Bethel University.
