SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Bowling Green State University softball team picked up a 5-4 win over Monmouth on Friday (Feb. 7) evening, coming away with a split on the opening day of the 2025 season. The Falcons were in action at the Spartan Classic, hosted by USC Upstate, at Cyrill Stadium.

The Falcons (1-1) nearly rallied all the way back from a six-run deficit in the opener, before falling, 6-4, against USC Upstate.

Addie Martin and Peyton Steffes each had three hits on the day, combining for five stolen bases. Martin, Katie Hutter and Hanna Massaro all homers, while Scarlet Anderson saw action in the circle in both games and picked up the win in relief vs. Monmouth.

NOTE OF THE DAY
• Redshirt freshman Addie Martin played in 10 games last season before missing the remainder of the year due to injury. She had totals of three hits, two RBI and four stolen bases in 2024.
• On Friday, Martin hit the first homer of her collegiate career, and matched her hits total for all of last year. She went 3-for-5 with a walk in the two games, and also had four RBI to double her 2024 total. Martin was 3-for-3 in stolen-base attempts on Friday.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY
• BGSU hit three homers on Friday after hitting a total of eight in 44 games last season. In addition to Martin, Katie Hutter and Hanna Massaro each homered.
• Hutter's homer was the second of her career, and her first since Feb. 26, 2023.
• Massaro, a freshman, hit her first collegiate homer in her first collegiate game, with a solo shot in the USC Upstate contest.

BGSU-UPSTATE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons had at least one baserunner in five of the first six innings, but could not get on the scoreboard in that time. Payton Steffes led off the game with a walk and promptly stole second, while Katie Hutter drew a one-out base on balls in the second inning, but BG left a runner on base in each inning.
• The host Spartans got on the scoreboard in the second inning, as Abby Polk was hit by a pitch with two outs, and came around to score on a double by Carson Shaw.
• Taylor Behrendt drew a two-out walk against Sophia Kardatzke in the third, but the Upstate starting pitcher retired the next hitter for out number three. Then, the Spartans put four more runs on the board in the bottom of the inning.
• After surrendering a single, BGSU starter Morgan Beckham – making her collegiate debut – retired the next two batters. But, after Alanna Deal was hit by a pitch, a Kardatzke bloop single to shallow center plated both baserunners, and Abigail Pippen followed with a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead. Scarlet Anderson entered the circle and got an inning-ending fly ball to left.
• The fourth inning saw Hannah Hunt and Cameron Kaufman each single, but the runners were stranded after a pair of infield popups and a strikeout.
• The hosts got another run in the fifth inning on a single, a pair of sac bunts and a double steal.
• Addie Martin led off the sixth inning with a single, and she advanced to second on Hunt's second single of the game. But, Kardatzke struck out the next three Falcons to preserve the shutout for the time being.
• After Anderson retired the Spartans in order in the bottom of the inning, Hanna Massaro – in the first game of her collegiate career – led off the seventh inning with a homer to left center. Delaney Davis followed with a walk, and Steffes and Behrendt each singled to load the bases, chasing Kardatzke.
• Sierra Maness, the Big South Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, entered the circle, and was greeted by a Martin single that scored both Davis and Steffes. Martin stole second, and after a strikeout, Martin took third on a wild pitch, with Behrendt scoring on the play to make it a 6-4 game. But, Maness was able to get a ground ball back to the circle, followed by a fly ball to center that ended the game.
• Each team had eight hits in the game, with the top-five hitters in the BGSU batting order combining for seven of the Falcons' eight hits.
• Hunt and Martin each went 2-for-4, while both Behrendt and Steffes had a walk and a hit.
• Beckham allowed five runs and six hits in her collegiate debut, while Anderson pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run and two hits.

BGSU-MONMOUTH – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Monmouth got on the scoreboard early in game two. The first three batters of the contest each doubled, and the Hawks had a 2-0 lead. After issuing a walk, BGSU starter Alyvia Roth proceeded to retire the next three batters. In fact, she set down seven batters in a row.
• In the bottom of the inning, BGSU plated a pair of runs to tie the game. Steffes singled through the right side of the infield and stole second, and Behrendt reached on an error to put runners at the corners.
• The lead runner was retired on a double-steal attempt, but Martin followed with her first collegiate homer, a shot to right-center, knotting the contest at 2-2 after one inning.
• And, with one out in the BGSU second, Katie Hutter homered down the left-field line to give the Falcons the lead.
• Roth's streak of seven-straight outs ended with a one-out single in the Monmouth third, but she set down the next two batters.
• In the Falcon third, Steffes doubled, but a Behrendt liner was caught by the second baseman, resulting in a double play. But, Martin walked, then proceeded to steal second and third, and coming around to score on the latter play. Then, Hunt reached on an error and came all the way around to score on Kaufman's double to center. BGSU had a 5-2 lead.
• The Hawks put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, on an error and a double, but Anderson entered the game and got Lexi Castaneda to hit a soft liner to shortstop Kaufman, who stepped on second base to complete the unassisted double play and end the inning.
• Davis singled and stole second in the Falcon fourth, and Giana Scotti doubled in the Hawk fifth, but the score remained the same.
• Monmouth got a leadoff single and a one-out hit-by-pitch in the sixth, before Anderson set down the next two hitters. In the seventh, though, the Hawks would mount one final rally.
• Kylee McLain led off with a single through the right side, and a Savannah Simons hit with one out was followed by a walk that loaded the bases. A fielder's-choice grounder to Martin at third resulted in the second out as a run crossed the plate.
• Jayla Cadena then singled up the middle to score another run and cut the Falcons' lead to 5-4. But, Anderson got Bri Lawson to hit a ball that was caught by Martin to end the game.
• Steffes went 2-for-3, while Martin had the two-run homer, along with a walk, two steals and two runs scored. Hutter homered as well, and the Falcons had four stolen bases as a team.
• Anderson, pitching in her second game of the day, picked up the win in relief. Both Roth (3 1/2 innings pitched) and Anderson 3 2/3 IP) allowed two runs and five hits while walking one batter. Roth had two strikeouts and Anderson one.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will return to Cyrill Stadium for two more games in the Spartan Classic on Saturday (Feb. 8), against the same two opponents. BGSU will face Monmouth in a 12:30 p.m. start before meeting USC Upstate at 3:00 p.m.
• Then, BG wraps up tournament play on Sunday (Feb. 9), facing Mid-American Conference foe Akron in a 10:00 a.m. game.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.