DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University took an early lead on Sunday (April 6), and Madison Carlson made that lead stand up. The Huskies picked up a 4-0 win over the Bowling Green State University softball team in the rubber match of the teams' Mid-American Conference series at Mary M. Bell Field.

Carlson scattered five hits en route to the complete-game shutout win, and did not allow the Falcons (13-24, 5-8 MAC) to put more than one runner on base until the seventh inning.

The Huskies (12-21, 7-7 MAC) scored three times in the first inning and never looked back. After surrendering three hits in that first frame, BG starter Mackenzie Krafcik allowed only three hits over her remaining four innings of work.

But, the Falcons could not advance a runner as far as third base until there were two outs in the seventh, and Carlson got the final out to lock down the shutout victory.

BGSU-NIU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Huskies took the lead with a three-run first inning. With one out, Danielle Stewart singled to center, and Madison Mathews drew a walk. Then, Katy Ramage doubled down the left-field line, scoring both runners. Ramage took third on a throw to the plate, and came all the way around to score when that throw to the plate got away.
• BGSU got runners as far as second base, but no further, in the first three innings. Addie Martin lined a ball over the head of leaping shortstop Alana Powell in the first inning, advancing to second on a passed ball. In the third, Kendall Mathews beat out a ground ball to short, and took second on Katie Hutter's sac bunt. But, in each case, the BG runner ended the inning on second base.
• Falcon starter Mackenzie Krafcik needed just eight pitches to retire the Huskies in the third inning, getting three ground balls. In the BG fourth, Ava McKee lined a ball up the middle for a two-out single, but a drive by Cameron Kaufman was caught on the warning track.
• Rylie Hartman led off the Huskie fourth with a single, and took second on a sac bunt. But, first baseman Taylor Behrendt made a leaping grab of a scorcher off the bat of Powell, and Krafcik then got Tess Meyer to hit a popup that was caught by Martin behind the third-base bag.
• Northern added to the lead in the fifth. Lia Nance led off the inning with a hit, and after she was erased on a fielder's choice, Mathews singled with two outs to score Jenna Turner from second.
• After recording just three hits in each of Saturday's two games vs. NIU, the Falcons had three hits through six innings on Sunday. But, Hannah Hunt singled to begin the seventh inning, and Ashley Chevalier lined a ball to right for a two-out, pinch-hit single that sent pinch-runner Reghan Stephany to third. Huskie pitcher Madison Carlson, however, struck out the next hitter to end the game. That seventh frame marked the first time in the series that BG had two hits in the same inning.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons step outside of league play for a Wednesday (April 9) game at Notre Dame. That contest, which begins at 8:00 p.m., will be televised on ACC Network.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will return to Meserve Field for a three-game series vs. Western Michigan. That series begins with a single game on Friday (April 11), with first pitch set for 3:00 p.m. Friday's game will be televised by BCSN in the Toledo area and will be available on ESPN+.

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