Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. (Feb. 15, 2025) - The Buena Vista softball team kicked off its 2025 campaign on Saturday inside of the Mankato State University Dome, but the Beavers came up short in the opener against St. Olaf, 3-2, before losing to Macalester College to wrap up the day, 7-0.

BVU led 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning against the Oles, but St. Olaf loaded the bases to begin the inning before tying things at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly for the second out. The Beavers couldn't quite work out of the jam as the Oles walked-off with a single right back up the middle for the one-run victory.

St. Olaf scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch, and that's how things stood until the Beavers scratched across its first run of the year in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jillian Garcia to tie things at 1-1. Junior Rylie Garner gave BVU the lead in the sixth inning with a one-out RBI single that scored senior Maddy Elwood, who had reached on an error to begin the inning.

Freshman Jordan Fabirkiewicz was 2-for-3 in her collegiate debut to help lead BVU at the plate. Geneva Galler doubled for the team's lone extra-base hit and was one of three players to record one hit. Grace Fuhrman went the distance inside the circle for the Beavers, allowing three earned runs on seven hits but was hindered by seven walks. 

BVU looked to bounce back to wrap up the opening day as it took on the Scots but Macalester came out and scored five of its seven runs in the game in the bottom of the first inning on four hits and led 5-0. The Scots then added single runs in both the third and sixth innings.

The Beavers totaled eight hits in the game but couldn't get the clutch hit, as they stranded a pair of runners on base in four separate innings. 

Danika Workman was 2-for-3 at the dish while Elwood and Paige Druskis each had one hit and one walk.

Kali Irlmeier got the start for BVU and was charged with six runs (five earned) and five hits over four innings. She also struck out two and walked two. Kenzie Dumbaugh pitched the other two innings and allowed a run on five hits while issuing one walk.

Buena Vista (0-2) will play two more games on Sunday against Gustavus Adolphus (8 a.m.) and the College of St. Scholastica (10:30 a.m.)