BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team posted a pair of walk-off wins on Friday afternoon (March 21), sweeping Kent State University in a Mid-American Conference doubleheader at Meserve Field. BGSU picked up a 10-2, six-inning win in the opener, before scoring four times in the seventh inning en route to a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.

Junior Mackenzie Krafcik picked up the win in the circle in each game for the Falcons (9-18, 3-2 MAC), who have matched last year's conference win total.

BGSU batted around in both the first and second innings of the first game, taking a 7-0 lead. After KSU scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth, the Falcons scored twice in the bottom of the inning, then ended the contest in the sixth, as sophomore Peyton Steffes tagged and scored from third on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by freshman Hanna Massaro.

The Golden Flashes (7-21, 0-5 MAC) took the lead on three separate occasions in the second game, with a three-run sixth giving KSU a 6-3 advantage. The game remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when sophomore Taylor Behrendt reached on an error to begin the inning. Junior Hannah Hunt followed with a single to score Behrendt, and Steffes singled as well, putting runners at the corners.

Steffes stole second, and freshman Ava McKee came through with a line-drive, two-run single to right that tied the game. McKee took second on the throw to the plate, putting the winning run in scoring position.

KSU pitcher Delaney Nagy got a popup to shortstop for the first out, but junior Delaney Davis came through, driving a ball to the gap in right-center to score pinch-runner Reghan Stephany with that winning run.

Steffes had a total of five hits on the day, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI in the first game before going 2-for-3 with a walk in game two. Redshirt freshman Addie Martin had two hits in each game, including her 10th homer of the season in the opener, while Hunt had three hits in the twinbill and Behrendt picked up a hit in each game.

Krafcik fired a complete game in the opener, allowing no earned runs and seven hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter. In the nightcap, she got the final four outs to pick up her second win of the day and her fifth of the season.

Friday marked the first time the Falcons have swept a doubleheader against a MAC opponent since May 4, 2022, when BGSU won a pair of games vs. Central Michigan at Meserve Field. BGSU has clinched a series win over Kent State, making this the first time the Falcons have won a three-game MAC series since the week prior to that CMU twinbill. BGSU took two of three games at Ball State on April 29-30, 2022.
 

— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) March 21, 2025

NOTE OF THE DAY 
• The Falcons, as mentioned, have equaled last season's MAC win total. BGSU is 3-2 in conference play after Friday's doubleheader sweep of Kent State. Last season, the Falcons finished with a league ledger of 3-23.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY
• Addie Martin hit her 10th homer of the season on Friday, and also stole her 10th base of the campaign. She is only the second player in school history to reach double digits in both categories in a season. The list...
    • Addie Martin, 2025 -- 10 HR, 10 SB
    • Hannah Fulk, 2012 -- 15 HR, 10 SB

BGSU-KSU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons, as mentioned, batted around in both the first and second innings, scoring a total of seven runs. The first inning saw BGSU score three runs on just one hit. Katie Hutter was hit by a pitch, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Addie Martin.
• Taylor Behrendt and Hannah Hunt each walked to load the bases, before Peyton Steffes singled through the right side of the infield to score two runs. Then, Ava McKee walked to reload the bases, and after a ground ball resulted in a force play at the plate, Hanna Massaro drew the Falcons' fourth walk of the inning, with Steffes scoring BG's third run.
• In the second inning, Hutter led off with a walk against KSU reliever Ella Johnson, and Martin doubled down the left-field line. Then, Behrendt singled to plate both runners, and BG loaded the bases with one out, as Steffes reached on an infield single before McKee walked on four pitches. Ashley Chevalier worked the count full before hitting a single to right-center, with Behrendt and Steffes scoring to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
• Meanwhile, Mackenzie Krafcik had allowed just one baserunner in te first two innings. She allowed back-to-back hits to begin the third, as Leilani Johnson led off with a double and Kam Utendorf followed with a single. But, with runners at the corners and nobody out, the junior struck out Delaney Robeson, the got Brynn Libler to hit a ball to Martin at short. The next hitter, Savannah Wing, hit a liner that Massaro grabbed in left field for the third out.
• The Flashes scored a pair of unearned runs after a one-out error in the fifth. Krafcik struck out Robeson for the second out, but Libler singled, and Wing followed with a two-run double to make it a 7-2 game. But, BG responded quickly.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Kendall Mathews drew a one-out walk, and with two down, Martin drove a pitch to left for her 10th homer of the season. BGSU had a 9-2 lead.
• In the sixth, Hunt and Steffes singled, and McKee was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Johnson got an out on a fielder's choice, with shortstop Robeson throwing home for the first out of the inning. But, Massaro drove a ball to left, with Steffes tagging and scoring easily on the game-ending sacrifice fly.
• Steffes was 3-for-4 in the win, with three runs scored and two RBI. Martin went 2-for-3, scoring two runs and driving in two runs. Three other Falcons – Behrendt, Chevalier and Messaro – each had two RBI as well, while Hutter and Behrendt scored twice.
• In the circle, Krafcik picked up the complete-game win, allowing two unearned runs and seven hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter.

BGSU-KSU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• KSU got on the board early in game two. Brynn Libler and Savannah Win each walked with one out, and an error loaded the bases. BG starter Scarlet Anderson got Delaney Robeson to hit a ball to Addie Martin at shortstop, and Martin threw home for the first out. But, a wild pitch allowed Wing to score. After a hit batter loaded the bases, Morgan Beckham came on and got Aaralyn.Nogay to hit a fly ball to center to end the inning.
• BGSU got that run back in the bottom of the inning as Martin singled with one out, then stole second. Taylor Behrendt and Hannah Hunt each walked to load the bases, and a third-straight walk, to Peyton Steffes, allowed Martin to trot home. KSU starter Delaney Nagy induced a ground ball for a force play at the plate, then got a popup to end the inning.
• The Flashes retook the lead in the third. Libler led off with a single, and Robeson's high popup with two outs landed in fair territory just inside the third-base line, with Libler coming around to score from second on the play.
• Behrendt and Hunt each walked with one out in the BG half of the third, and a Steffes ground ball moved the runners into scoring position, but Nagy got an inning-ending fly ball to left.
• KSU added to the lead in the fifth. Wing was hit by a pitch, and after Beckham retired the next two hitters, Katie Joe Moery doubled to the fence in center, with Wing coming around to score and make it a 3-1 game.
• But, BG tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. Katie Hutter led off with a double, and advanced to third on a hard-hit single by Martin. Martin stole second before Behrendt hit a ball up the middle for a two-run single.
• The visitors, however, put three unearned runs on the board with a two-out rally in the sixth. After the first two hitters were retired, Carley Penner singled up the middle, and Libler walked. Wing followed with an RBI single, and after Mackenzie Krafcik entered the game, Megan Claerhout reached on an error. Libler scored on the play, and a Robeson single scored Wing.
• BGSU got a pinch-hit single by Delaney Davis to lead off the sixth, but Nagy then got three consecutive outs to send the game to the seventh.
• In the seventh, the Flashes got a pinch-hit single of their own, as Kendal Leitner reached base with one out. She was retired on a fielder's choice, but Penner doubled to left to put runners at second and third. But, Krafcik got Libler to hit an inning-ending fly ball to Steffes in right.
• And, BGSU proceeded to score four times to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh. Behrendt reached when her ground ball went through the legs of Robeson and rolled all the way into the gap in left-center. Hunt singled on the next pitch to score Behrendt. Then, on the pitch after that, Steffes singled, and Hunt advanced to third on an outfield error.
• With runners at the corners and no outs, Steffes stole second, before Ava McKee singled to right to score both runners and tie the game. And, McKee advanced to second on the throw to the plate.
• Reghan Stephany entered the game as a pinch-runner, and after Nagy got a popup for the first out of the inning, Davis drove a ball into the gap in right-center, allowing Stephany to come around and score the winning run.
• Three Falcons had multiple-hit games, including Davis, who entered the game in the sixth inning and went 2-for-2 with the game-winning RBI.
• Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Steffes went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI. Behrendt singled, walked twice and drove in two teammates, while Hunt also had two walks and a single.
• Krafcik picked up the win in relief, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Beckham, who entered the game in the first inning, pitched five innings and allowed five runs (just three earned) on seven hits.
• For the Flashes, Penner was 3-for-5 with a double, while Robeson went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. Wing was 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Flashes will conclude their three-game weekend series on Saturday (March 22) with a single game beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Meserve Field.
• Then, BGSU's season-long 10-game homestand continues next week, with a Wednesday (March 26) doubleheader vs. Youngstown State followed by a three-game weekend (March 28-29) series against Ball State.

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.