BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team executed in all phases of the game on Wednesday afternoon (March 26), sweeping a doubleheader against Youngstown State University at Meserve Field.

The Falcons picked up a 7-4 victory in the opener, followed by a 12-4, five-inning win in the nightcap. BGSU (12-18) pounded out a total of 27 hits in the sweep, scoring six runs in the first two innings of each game.

BGSU has won five consecutive games, and the Falcons have scored 45 runs (9.0 per game) during that streak. The five-game winning streak is BG's longest in over five years, since March 6-8, 2020. The Falcons have not had a longer streak since winning six in a row in March of 2019.

In the circle, junior Mackenzie Krafcik picked up the victory in the opener, and freshman Morgan Beckham earned the save with lights-out relief. Beckham retired all nine batters she faced in the first game, then earned a complete-game win in the nightcap.

At the plate, seven different Falcons had at least three hits on the day. Juniors Katie Hutter and Kendall Mathews each had a pair of two-hit games, and Hutter, Mathews, sophomore Taylor Behrendt and junior Hannah Hunt each had a total of four hits on Wednesday.

Freshman Ava McKee had a team-high four RBI on the day, with a two-run double in the first inning of the opener and a two-run single in the first frame of game two.

In the second game, BGSU had a season-high 16 hits in just four-plus innings. The Falcons sent 37 hitters to the plate and made only 13 outs.

A FEW FUN FALCON FACTS
• BGSU has doubled the win total for all of last season (6-38). Additionally, the Falcons are 6-1 at home this season after going 5-11 at Meserve Field in 2024 (and 0-15 in '23).
• The Falcons now have three run-rule wins this season after posting a total of three such victories in the last two years combined.
• BG has scored at least seven runs in each of the last five games, and in a total of 11 games this season. Last spring, the Falcons scored seven or more runs on six occasions.
• The Falcons' total of 16 hits in Wednesday's second game was the team's highest in over two years, since BG had 16 hits in a win over Tennessee Tech on March 4, 2023. BGSU has not had more than 16 hits in over six years, since the Falcons had 19 in a 21-0 blowout win over St. Bonaventure (March 16, 2019).
 

Gallery: (3-26-2025) 032625 sb v YSU - G1 - Drake Harlett

Gallery: (3-26-2025) 032625 sb v YSU - G2 - Drake Harlett

— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) March 26, 2025

BGSU-YSU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, with four of those eight coming around to score. Katie Hutter led off with a single, and Addie Martin walked on four pitches against YSU starter Kelsey Ogin. Taylor Behrendt laid down a bunt, and all three Falcons were safe as Behrendt beat catcher Kennedy Dean's throw to first.
• Hutter tagged and scored on Hannah Hunt's sacrifice fly, with Martin advancing to third on the play. With runners at the corners and Peyton Steffes at the plate, the Falcons successfully executed a double steal. Behrendt took off for second, beating the throw, with Martin then taking off from third and scoring easily.
• Steffes followed with a single, and the Falcons had runners at the corners once again. After Steffes stole second, Ava McKee doubled to score both baserunners and give the Falcons a 4-0 lead.
• The Penguins got a run back in the top of the second. Elyssa Imler and Kennedy Dean had back-to-back singles to start the inning, but BGSU hurler Mackenzie Krafcik then got two outs on a fly ball to shallow right and a grounder to shortstop that led to a force play at third. But, Taylor Truran came through with a blooper that landed just inside the right-field line for a run-scoring single. 
• In the BG half of the second, Kendall Mathews led off with a single, and took second on a bunt single by Hutter. After a fly ball produced the first out, Behrendt roped a pitch over the leftfielder's head for a two-run double and a 6-1 BGSU advantage.
• The Falcons added to the lead in the fourth. Hutter fell behind, 0-2, in the count, but worked her way back, fouling off a total of four pitches before taking the 10th pitch of the plate appearance for ball four. Martin followed with a bunt that died just inside the first-base line for a single. Meanwhile, Hutter went all the way to third as no YSU fielder was covering, and Martin continued to second on the play. One out later, Hutter scored on Hunt's single to left.
• The Penguins, trailing by a 7-1 count, cut that lead in half in the fifth. Bree Kohler led off with a single, and Ayla Ray walked. Lydia Wilkerson followed with a run-scoring single.
• Then, on a ground ball by Imler, an attempt to force Wilkerson at second was unsuccessful as the throw was off line. Everyone was safe as Ray scored. Then, Dean's RBI single made it a 7-4 game.
• Morgan Beckham entered the circle with two on, no outs and the tying run at the plate. She got pinch-hitter Bella Meyer to hit a ground ball to Martin at short, leading to a force at third. Then, Kami Diaz hit a soft liner to center that was caught by Mathews. And, when Delaney Davis settled under Truran's fly ball to left, Beckham and the Falcons were out of the inning.
• Beckham proceeded to retire the side in order in both the sixth and seventh frames, and the Falcons had the victory.
• Krafcik picked up the win, allowing three earned runs before leaving in the fifth. Beckham earned her first career save, slamming the door in that fifth frame and retiring all nine batters she faced. Beckham threw 22 of her 33 total pitches for strikes.
• At the plate, Behrendt was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Hutter went 2-for-3 and scored three runs. Mathews also had a 2-for-3 game, including a triple.
• Hunt and McKee each drove in two runs in the win.
• Dean and Wilkerson each had two hits for the Penguins, who had 10 total hits to the Falcons' 11.

BGSU-YSU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• After scoring four first-inning runs in Wednesday's opener, BGSU scored five times in the nightcap. This time, the Falcons were rallying from an early deficit.
• The first batter of the game, Macy Littler, reached on an error, and the Penguins would take advantage of the miscue. Bree Kohler reached on a bunt single, and after two fly-ball outs, Elyssa Imler laid down a bunt, just beating the throw to first. Littler scored on the play, and Kohler, running all the way, came around to score as well, beating the throw to the plate.
• But, BG responded quickly. Katie Hutter singled to right, and Addie Martin singled to left. Taylor Behrendt laid down a sac bunt, and everyone was safe when the catcher's throw toward first sailed high. All three Falcons took an extra base, with Hutter scoring her fourth run of the day and BG's first run of game two.
• Hannah Hunt followed with a bunt single that loaded the bases, and a Peyton Steffes ground ball to the right side scored Martin. Then, for the second-straight game, McKee had a first-inning hit that plated two teammates. Her game-two single to right scored Behrendt and Hunt to give BG a 4-2 lead.
• One out later, Kendall Mathews walked to load the bases, and Hutter's bases-loaded walk allowed McKee to trot home with the Falcons' fifth run. Martin then drove a ball to left, but with the wind blowing in, leftfielder Littler made the catdh for the third out.
• Morgan Beckham, who started game two after finishing the first game in the circle, worked around a one-out single and a two-out walk in the second, and BG went back to work.
• Behrendt led off with an infield single, but YSU starter Maci Boggess got two outs on a ground ball to second and a strikeout. McKee singled with two down, however, and Delaney Davis reached on a bunt single, loading the bases. Then, Hanna Massaro reached on a YSU throwing error that allowed Hunt so score.
• The Penguins cut the four-run deficit in half in the third. Ayla Ray and Lydia Wilkerson had back-to-back singles, and a base hit by Imler loaded the bases with no outs. Kennedy Dean hit a popup, with shortstop Martin charging in and fielding the wind-blown ball near the first-base line. But, Kami Diaz followed with a two-run single to the gap in left-center. On the play, Imler was out at the plate attempting to score from first, and Beckham then got Ashlyn Bishop to hit an inning-ending ground ball to second.
• BGSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the third on a pair of YSU errors that were sandwiched around Hunt's single to left. But, Boggess got out of the jam with a ground ball to first.
• Beckham worked around a leadoff walk in the fourth, setting down the next three Penguins, and BG added to the lead in the bottom of the inning.
• Massaro walked with one out, and Mathews followed with a single to shallow right-center. Centerfielder Kohler ran a long, long way for a ball that initially looked like it was hit to center, but the ball finally landed not terribly far from the YSU second baseman. Then, Hutter singled to left, allowing Massaro to score from second, and Martin banged a single through the left side of the infield that plated Mathews. One out later, Hunt's single through the right side scored Hutter and gave BG a 9-4 lead.
• In the fifth, Autumn Boyd entered the circle for the Penguins, but BG's leadoff batter – McKee – reached on an error. Davis also reached, on her third bunt single of the game. Then, after a wild pitch advanced both runners, Massaro singled to score McKee and put runners at the corners.
• A single by Mathews scored Davis to make it an 11-4 game, and Hutter lofted a fly ball to left. Leftfielder Macy Littler made the catc,h but Massaro tagged and scored from third to give the Falcons an eight-run lead and a run-rule win.
• BGSU sent 37 hitters to the plate and made just 13 outs in the second game, with a season-high 16 hits in four-plus innings.
• Hunt and Davis each went 3-for-4, while four Falcons – Hutter, Martin, McKee and Mathews – all had two hits in the win.
• After scoring three runs in the opener, Hutter scored twice and drove in three runs in the second game. Hunt, McKee and Massaro also crossed the plate two times each.
• In the circle, Beckham picked up a complete-game win, allowing two earned runs and seven hits. She now has two wins and a save in her last three appearances.
• For the Penguins, Imler had two hits, and Imler and Diaz each drove in two runs in game two.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will conclude a season-long 10-game homestand this weekend, with a three-game series vs. Ball State. The teams will meet in a Friday (March 28) single game, beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (March 29) at Meserve Field.

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.