WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Mar. 6, 2024) - The Buena Vista softball team wrapped up its set of games over the spring trip on Wednesday evening with a pair of thrilling games, but the Beavers would ultimately come up just short in both, falling to Dominican University (Ill.) 10-7 and then to Wittenberg 1-0.
Against the Stars, it was BVU that put together multiple rallies during the game, but the final one saw the team score three times in the seventh inning before leaving the bases loaded to end the game. Dominican had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and continued to lead by that same margin until the fourth when the Beavers tied it up at 3-3 with a 3-run triple from shortstop Amanda Franke.
It was a five-run fifth inning by the Stars that ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. They played small ball against BVU to score a pair of runs on bunt singles.
Keirsten Trayte doubled home Nikki Griggs in the sixth inning with an RBI double that brought the Beavers back within 8-4, but Dominican (6-2) had another response in the bottom half by plating two more to make it 10-4.
BVU put its rally caps on yet again in the seventh as Trayte came through in the clutch with a 3-run double to cut the deficit down to 10-7 with two outs. The Beavers later loaded the bases but a pop out to shortstop ended both the rally and the game.
Trayte finished 2-for-4 with four RBI while Franke turned in two hits and three RBI and Griggs was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Kali Irlmeier made the start inside the circle but was lifted after allowing three runs and two hits over just one-third of an inning. Kenzie Dumbaugh took over and ultimately suffered her first loss of the year. She was tagged with seven runs (five earned) and seven hits over 5.2 innings.
