STORM LAKE, Iowa (Apr. 20, 2024) - The Buena Vista University softball team returned home on Saturday to host Luther College in a doubleheader as part of the Beavers' Cancer Awareness Day, but the Norse went on to defeat BVU in both games, 10-5 and 11-0 (5 innings).

After throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in honor of her late mother, senior Nattie Murillo stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and went the opposite way with an outside pitch and lifted it over the right field wall for a solo home run that tied the game at 1-1.

Luther broke things open with a five-run third before adding another in the fourth to lead 7-1. The Beavers mounted a late rally in the sixth which included a two-run single by Amanda Franke that made it 7-5. The Norse came right back in the seventh by pushing across three insurance runs while BVU went down in order in its half.

Franke finished 2-for-3 with the two RBI while Murillo also added two hits. Both teams finished with two extra-base hits apiece.

Kali Irlmeier made the start and suffered the loss inside the circle for the Beavers. The righthander allowed six runs (one earned) and four hits over two innings while also walking four.

Luther (22-8, 6-2 A-R-C) jumped out quickly in game two by scoring five times in the first inning on five hits. The Norse then added six more runs on three hits in the third.

BVU was held to only three hits in the contest, including a pair of singles by Paige Druskis.

Keirsten Trayte was handed the loss for BVU after being charged with five runs and four hits over 0.2 innings. Grace Fuhrman took over and allowed the next five runs while Rebecka Finlayson pitched the final 2.2 innings and gave up one run and one hit.

Buena Vista is now 7-27 overall (0-12 A-R-C) and will host Central College in a rescheduled doubleheader on Thursday, Apr. 25, at 3 p.m.