MANKATO, Minn. (Feb. 25, 2024) - The Buena Vista softball team wrapped up play inside of the Mankato Dome on Sunday afternoon by splitting a pair of games. The team opened the day with a thrilling 4-3 (8 inning) victory over Gustavus Adolphus before falling in five innings (11-0) against Hamline University.

Against the Gusties, BVU rallied twice in the final two innings to pull out the victory. Gustavus broke a scoreless game with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning before Madalyn Elwood cut into that lead with an RBI groundout in the fourth. Paige Druskis came through in the clutch with the Beavers down to their final out in the seventh by driving home the game-tying run with two outs on a single up the middle.

The Gusties pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth with an RBI double, but Kennedi Claycomb got out of any further damage by getting a strikeout and groundout to end the inning. Buena Vista came charging right back in the bottom half, loadoing the bases with no outs. After a strikeout for the first out, Hanson tied things up with a game-tying RBI single before Amanda Franke's game-winning sacrifice fly scored Elwood.

Danica Workman finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored while Druskis and Nikki Griggs also chimed in with two hits each. Claycomb pitched all eight innings for the Beavers, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits to push her overall record to 3-1.

In the nightcap, the Beavers couldn't slow down the bats of the Pipers. Hamline scored runs in each of  the first four innings, including a six-run fourth where it would break things wide open. It scored three of its first four runs on RBI groundouts before a pair of run-scoring doubles in the fourth inning aided their outburst. The Pipers tallied 12 hits in the game while BVU was held to only a single from both Druskis and Franke.

Rylie Garner (0-1) suffered the loss inside the circle after lasting just 1.2 innings, allowing three runs and five hits.

Buena Vista is now 4-6 on the season and will now travel to Kissimmee, Fla., to begin its Spring Break trip. The first of the team's six-game schedule is on Mar. 4 at 10 a.m. (EST).