Kelsey Ackerman | Sports Co-Editor
The Buena Vista University (BVU) softball team opened their season with a three-day tournament in Rosemount, Minn. The Beavers came out even at 3-3 on the weekend.
“I had high expectations for the weekend, but with those I had to keep in mind we have new faces on the field. Some things are going to go wrong, and some are going to go right,” sophomore Haley Stevens said.
The first games of the weekend came with a double header against #13 St. Thomas. The Beavers fell short in both games with scores of 2-5 and 0-8. The trouble for the Beavers stemmed from the four 2-run homeruns that St. Thomas put up on the board.
The next day Head Coach Mandie Berneking got her first win with the Beavers, as they split with Hamline University.
“We faced great competition this weekend and believing that we had every opportunity to win those games was very important,” Berneking said.
The Beavers rallied from behind in the first game to reach a winning 3-2 decision. The Beavers, who were behind by one run, scored single runs in both the sixth and seventh inning. The Beavers came up short in the second game with a 2-6 loss.
“Our goal going into Sunday was to play a full 14 innings and not let up, and we did exactly that,” Berneking said.
The final day of the tournament for the Beavers went undefeated, with a sweep of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 5-2 and 3-2.
On the weekend, one of the major contributions to the Beavers’ success came from junior pitcher Jenna Falline and freshman pitcher Moriah Guyett. The Beavers also drew a lot of walks and were aggressive on the base path.
“All in all, I think everyone on the team had a moment where they really shined and stepped up to the plate whether it was on offense of defense,” Stevens said.
One of the biggest focuses moving forward for the Beavers is recognizing good pitches when they are there. This will come from seeing more live pitching from their own pitchers in practice. The Beavers are hoping to get outside soon because playing defense off the rec floor is a lot different than an actual game situation.
“Another goal we are setting after this weekend is to come out playing confidently and aggressively. Playing tentative on either side of the ball will only prove to be dissatisfying,” Berneking said.
The Beavers will continue play Saturday, March 11 in Rochester, Minn. with a double header against Wisconsin-La Crosse. Start times are set for 5:30 and 8:00 p.m.
Photo by Kyle Shade
