ROCHESTER, Minn. (Feb. 28, 2026) - The Buena Vista softball team got its season underway Saturday evening inside of the Rochester Dome. The Beavers began the night with a tough 10-3 loss against St. Olaf before suffering a 7-0 shutout by UW-La Crosse.
After St. Olaf took a 1-0 lead in its half of the first inning, BVU came right back with three runs of its own to go up 3-1. Senior
Keirsten Trayte, who missed nearly all of last season due to injury, knocked in the first run of the year for the Beavers with an RBI single. Later in the inning, junior
Jillian Garcia was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and gave the Beavers the lead. Freshman
Karlee Noe extended the margin to 3-1 with an RBI ground out.
It remained a 3-1 game until the fourth inning when St. Olaf got a pair of singles and a walk to begin the inning which eventually led to a one-out, 3-run double that put the Oles back in front 4-3. BVU got back-to-back singles to begin its half of the inning and later had runners at second and third with no outs, but failed to score.
The Oles would go on and add three more runs in the fifth and three additional insurance runs in the seventh. BVU stranded a pair of runners in the fifth and one more in the seventh but never threatened down the stretch.
St. Olaf out-hit the Beavers 13-4 and had five extra-base hits. Aside from Trayte and Noe, BVU also got singles from freshmen
Maddy Raveling and
Arielle Bowers.
Transfer Pagie Mahler got her first start inside the circle for BVU and pitched 3.1 innings and was tagged for four runs and six hits. She also walked three and struck out three.
Kali Irlmeier came on in relief and allowed six runs and seven hits while walking two.
In the nightcap, which didn't get started until after 9 p.m., it was UW-La Crosse taking an early 2-0 lead in the first and added another run in the second. BVU was held to only three base runners through the first four innings and then saw the Eagles tack on four more runs in the fifth to break the game open at 7-0.
The Beavers got their first three hits of the game in the sixth inning but were unable to push any runs across as they stranded runners at first and third to end the frame. BVU was then retired in order in the seventh to end the night.
Trayte and Bowers both finished 1-for-3 while Garcia came on to pinch hit in the sixth and got her first base hit of the year. BVU was held to ony the three hits while the Eagles tallied 11.
Noe got the nod in the circle for the Beavers and was charged with all seven runs on 10 hits over 4.2 innings.
Kenzie Dumbaugh came on in relief and allowed just one hit and one walk over the final 1.1 innings.
Buena Vista (0-2) is right back out on the diamond on Sunday morning to play two more games inside of the Dome. The Beavers will face Macalester College at 11 a.m. before concluding the trip against UW-Stout at 1 p.m.
