MANKATO, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team totaled 17 runs while allowing just two runs to open the 2025 season with two wins Saturday night in the Maverick Dome at Minnesota State-Mankato. The Scots, who were 25-16 and qualified for the MIAC Playoffs last season, defeated Buena Vista, 7-0 and UW-Stout 10-2 in five innings.

Against Buena Vista, Macalester got off to a fast start to the new season with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Tess Bojorquez (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) doubled home two runs, sophomore Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) had an RBI single and sophomore Callia Holland (Akron, Ohio/Hawken) and first year Allison Dvorak (Poulsbo, Wash./North Kitsap) also drove in runs in the inning. In the third inning, Bojorquez doubled to score Holland for her third RBI and a 6-0 lead. Welch singled to plate senior Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) in the sixth to close out the scoring. Bojorquez was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs, and Welch and first year Safiya Butler (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) each had two hits.

Bojorquez started in the circle and shut out Buena Vista over four innings on five hits while striking out two and walking two. Junior Kara Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill./York) pitched two scoreless innings and sophomore Paige Schultz (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The offense stayed hot in the second game against UW-Stout. After surrendering an unearned run in the top of the first inning, the Scots responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Bojorquez brought home senior Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) with a grounder, sophomore Alli Johnson (Waukee, Iowa/Northwest) singled to score Futchko and Welch came home on a stolen base. In the third, Bojorquez and Johnson drove in runs for a 5-1 lead. UW-Stout scored a run in the top of the fifth, only to have Macalester push five runs across in the bottom of the fifth to end the game. Futchko and Welch both scored on errors, Holland drove in Bojorquez with a single, Butler walked with the bases loaded, and Futchko was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to end the game.

Johnson and Nicholson had two hits apiece to lead the offense. Sophomore pitcher Martha Miller (Medford, Wis./Medford) gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out four without a walk in five innings of work to earn her first win as a Scot.

Macalester will play UW-Superior and Buena Vista on Friday, Feb. 21 in Dundas, Minn.