BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University softball team got a pair of three-run homers early and solid pitching late on Friday (March 7), picking up a 7-6 win over UIC in the opening game of the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field.

The second game saw the host school, Indiana University, build a big early lead en route to an 11-3 win over the Falcons.

In the opener, the Falcons (4-14) got a three-run bomb in each of the first two innings, and Scarlet Anderson slammed the door on the Flames with 3 2/3 innings of two-hit shutout relief. Anderson worked efficiently, needing just 36 pitches to get those 11 outs, and she faced just two batters over the minimum.

Hannah Hunt had staked the Falcons to an early lead with a three-run homer, giving BGSU a 3-0 lead just three batters into the game. The Flames (4-17) responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, but after a Katie Hutter sacrifice fly, Addie Martin's three-run homer in the second gave BG a 7-4 second-inning lead.

Mackenzie Krafcik picked up the win in the circle vs. UIC. Krafcik, the second of three BGSU pitchers, allowed two runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Anderson earned her first save of the season.

In the Indiana game, the Falcons fell behind, 8-0, after three innings, but saw six consecutive batters reach base to begin the fourth, scoring three times. Ultimately, however, the Hoosiers (14-5) got a two-out, two-run single in the sixth before a wild pitch gave the hosts an eight-run lead.

BGSU-UIC – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons struck quickly against UIC starter Jasmine Whorley. Katie Hutter began the game by drawing a walk, and Addie Martin beat out a slow roller to short. Then, Hannah Hunt followed by crushing a ball to left for a three-run homer. Three batters into the game, the Falcons had a three-run lead.
• The Flames, however, responded in the bottom of the first against BG starter Sydney Marshall. After singles by Dee Dee Caskey and Jojo Santiago, a walk loaded the bases before Sequoia Sanchez doubled down the left-field line to plate two runs.
• Mackenzie Krafcik entered the circle and got a ground ball to third, with the runners forced to hold, before inducing a foul pop that first baseman Taylor Behrendt grabbed for the second out. But, on the next pitch, a seeing-eye ground ball off the bat of Siena Stickney scored two runners and gave UIC the lead after one inning of play.
• But, the BG bats answered quickly. Ashley Chevalier singled to left, and Hanna Massaro beat out a ground ball to the right side for an infield single. Kendall Mathews walked to load the bases with no outs, and all three runners advanced on a sacrifice fly by Hutter, with Chevalier tagging and scoring the tying run.
• Then, Martin unloaded on a pitch, depositing it over the wall in left for the Falcons' second three-run homer in as many innings.
• After the first three (or more) batters had reached base in each of the first three half-innings, Krafcik set down the Flames in order in the second, needing just six pitches to do so.
• UIC made a pitching change to begin the third inning, and reliever Alyssa McIntosh kept BG off the board. The Flames loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but a Brianna Motto ground ball to Kaufman at shortstop ended the frame.
• In the fourth, the Flames cut into the BGSU lead. Caskey singled before Santiago's fly ball to left just cleared the fence for a two-run homer. After a walk, Scarlet Anderson entered the circle and got the next two outs on a soft liner to left and an infield grounder.
• Kaufman beat out a ground ball to deep short for a one-out single in the fifth, and a two-out walk by Peyton Steffes put two runners aboard. But, Chevalier's ground ball was hit directly up the middle, and the UIC shortstop was able to glove it and step on the bag for an inning-ending force.
• Anderson worked around a pair of sixth-inning baserunners, after Caskey walked with one out and Hailey Cowing singled up the middle with two down. The BG senior got Sanchez to hit a lazy fly ball to Steffes in right.
• The Falcons got a runner to second in the top of the seventh, as Hunt singled and pinch-runner Reghan Stephany stole a base, but a Behrendt liner was caught by the first baseman.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Emma Gumont led off with a single up the middle. But, Martin grabbed a hot shot off the bat of Grace Fleming and, with her momentum carrying her into foul ground, fired to Hunt at second for a force play and the first out. Then, Hunt grabbed Stickney's grounder, flipped it to Kaufman at second, and Kaufman's relay to first was gloved by Behrendt, who made a lunging effort at first to catch the ball ahead of Stickney's headfirst slide.

BGSU-IU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Indiana starter Brianna Copeland walked Katie Hutter to begin the game, then proceeded to strike out the next nine Falcons. 
• The Hoosiers took the lead in the opening frame, when Copeland drew a one-out walk and stole second, before a Taylor Minnick homer gave IU a 2-0 advantage.
• BGSU starter Morgan Beckham faced the minimum in the second inning, as after a leadoff walk, Aly VanBrandt was out attempting to steal second. She was initially called safe, before the call was overturned on review.
• But, in the third inning, a Alex Cooper double was followed by a walk and a bunt single to load the bases. Beckham struck out Minnick, but Avery Parker followed with a grand slam, and the hosts would tack on two more runs in the inning.
• Trailing, 8-0, the Falcons continued to battle. Martin led off the fourth with a single to left, and she took third when Hannah Hunt doubled to right. Then, Cameron Kaufman's hard-hit ball was knocked down by the third baseman, but trickled into shallow left for an RBI single that plated Martin.
• Taylor Behrendt followed with a run-scoring double to right-center, and Peyton Steffes had a bunt single to load the bases. Then, Ashley Chevalier drew a walk to score a run, making it an 8-3 game and chasing Copeland from the circle. Reliever Jenae Berry came on and retired the side without any further damage.
• Scarlet Anderson, who had entered the game to get the final out of the third inning, set down the Hoosiers in order in the fourth, and worked around a leadoff single in the fifth.
• BGSU threatened in both the fifth and sixth frames. In the fifth, Hunt drew a four-pitch walk with one out, and after a Kaufman drive was caught just in front of the wall, Behrendt singled to put runners at the corners. But, a Steffes liner was hit directly at the shortstop.
• The sixth inning saw Kyra Henney – in her first collegiate appearance – get robbed of a hit as her looper was grabbed by a diving catch by the IU shortstop on the outfield grass just inside the left-field line. Kendall Mathews drew a walk, then went to third on Hutter's single, but a fly ball to right got the Hoosiers out of the inning.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Anderson issued back-to-back walks before getting a strikeout. Minnick, however, was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Parker's soft single landed in right field to score two teammates. Then, a wild pitch allowed the final run to score.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons return to Andy Mohr Field for two more games on Saturday (March 8). BGSU will face IU Indy in a 12:00 p.m. start, before taking on the Hoosiers once again, in a game scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be streamed via Big Ten Network+.
• Saturday's games conclude BGSU's participation in the Hoosier Classic. The Falcons will then prepare for next weekend's Mid-American Conference-opening series at Buffalo.

HOOSIER CLASSIC SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Friday, March 7
IU Indy 7, UIC 1
Bowling Green 7, UIC 6
Indiana 14, IU Indy 0
Indiana 11, Bowling Green 3

Saturday, March 8
IU Indy vs Western Michigan, 10:00 a.m.
Bowling Green vs IU Indy, 12:00 p.m.
Indiana vs Western Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
Indiana vs Bowling Green, 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 9
UIC vs Western Michigan, 10:00 a.m.
Indiana vs UIC, 12:00 p.m.
IU Indy vs Western Michigan, 2:00 p.m.

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.