TUCSON, Ariz. – The Gustavus softball team was not able to hold on to a slim early lead Friday at the Tucson Invitational, falling to UW-La Crosse 2-1 to move to 5-2 overall on the season.
Rachel Strandmark (So., New Ulm, Minn.) scored the lone Gustie run of the game in the opening frame as she singled and scored on a double off the bat of Nathalee Boissiere (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.). Hannah Heacox (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) pitched three scoreless innings until the Eagles scored a pair of runs in the fourth on four hits to take a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game.
Gustavus was limited to three hits, two of which occurred in the first inning. Strandmark went 1-for-2 with a run, Boissiere went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Jena Willis (Jr., Kalispell, Mt.) went 1-for-3 as well. Heacox suffered her first loss of the season in a complete game effort. She allowed two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts, three walks, and one hit-by-pitch.
Gustavus returns to the diamond at 11 a.m. tomorrow for a rematch against UW-La Crosse followed by a 1:30 p.m. game against Crown.