WAVERLY, Iowa (Apr. 6, 2024) - The American Rivers Conference schedule continued for the Buena Vista softball team on Saturday afternoon at Wartburg College, but despite holding leads in the fourth inning of both contests, the Beavers came up on the short-end in each one by scores of 14-10 and 13-5 (5 inn.).

Nikki Griggs gave BVU the early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one with a sacrifice fly before Wartburg responded by scoring three runs in both the first and second innings for a 6-1 cushion. The Beavers got two of those runs back in the third on RBI's from Keirsten Trayte and Katie Hanson before Griggs came through again, this time with a grand slam, to put BVU back in front in the fourth, 7-6.

The Knights had a response each time the Beavers put runs on the board and did so again in their half of the fourth with seven unearned runs to take a 13-7 lead. Trailing 14-7 heading to their final at-bat, the Beavers put together a nice rally, including a 2-run double from Paige Druskis, but the deficit was just too much to overcome.

Druskis finished 3-for-5 with the two RBI and a team-high three runs scored. Griggs was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks, team-high five RBI and also scored once. Hanson added two hits and was also hit by a pitch.

Senior Kennedi Claycomb came on in relief and would suffer the loss inside the circle. She was charged with seven unearned runs, four hits and three walks in 2.1 innings.

Wartburg struck first in the finale by pushing across a pair of runs in the second inning and one more in the third for a 3-0 lead. The Beavers struck for five runs in the fourth, capped by a 2-run double from Nattie Murillo, as they took a 5-3 lead.

The Knights (16-9, 4-0 A-R-C) had an answer each time that BVU scored on the day, including a 10-run frame in their half of the fourth to take control at 13-5. They would then work around a one-out error to end the game early in the fifth.

Druskis added two more hits in the game for BVU to bump up her team-leading batting average for the year up to .341. She also stole her team-best eighth base overall. Murillo added two hits for her first multi-hit performance since chalking up three against Bluffton back on Mar. 5.

Trayte (0-5) came on in relief and was charged with the loss. She was tagged with seven runs, seven hits and two walks over 3.2 innings pitched.

Buena Vista drops to 7-19 overall (0-4 A-R-C) and is set to play its home opener on Tuesday, Apr. 9, by hosting Coe College in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.