CONWAY, S.C. – The Bowling Green State University softball team dropped a heartbreaker on Friday afternoon (Feb. 28), falling to the University of Connecticut, 8-7, in the Falcons' opening game of the Chanticleer Showdown

The Falcons (3-8) fell behind in the first inning, but kept clawing back, while senior Madi Young's stellar relief pitching kept BG in the contest. BGSU tied the game in the fifth inning and took a 7-6 lead in the sixth. But, the Huskies (9-6) got a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, before walking it off several batters later at St. John Stadium.

The BG bats pounded out 11 hits, tying a season best, and the Falcons drew a total of nine walks. Kendall Mathews was 2-for-3 with a walk, a homer and four runs batted in.

Three other Falcons had multiple-hit games, as Hanna Massaro also went 2-for-3 with a walk, while Katie Hutter and Peyton Steffes each were 2-for-4.

Hutter had two doubles and scored a run while driving in two, and Steffes had a triple and scored twice.

BGSU's leadoff batters reached base in each of the first six innings, and the Falcons outhit the Huskies, 11-5. But, the Falcons left 15 on base.

Kaiea Higa was the lone player with a multi-hit game for the Huskies. Her two hits included the game-tying homer in the seventh.

Hope Jenkins, the fourth UConn pitcher of the day, picked up the win despite retiring just four of the 10 batters she faced. She walked five Falcons and hit a batter, but got out of two-out, bases-loaded jams in both the sixth and seventh frames.

Young was masterful in relief for the Falcons. After six of the first seven Huskies reached base in the bottom of the first, Young entered the game and pitched into the seventh. She allowed two earned runs and three hits in her 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out three without walking a batter.

BGSU-UCONN – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Katie Hutter drew a walk to begin the game, and Cameron Kaufman laced a two-out double to center off of UConn starter Sydnee Koosh, sending Hutter to third. But, Koosh was able to get an inning-ending popup.
• Lexi Hastings reached on an infield single to begin the UConn half of the first, and an error put runners at the corners with no outs. A walk loaded the bases, and Grace Jenkins was hit by a pitch to force home the game's first run.
• With one out, back-to-back walks each plated a run, giving the Huskies a 3-0 lead. Madi Young entered the game and got a popup to shortstop for the second out, but a wild pitch plated a fourth run before a fly ball to center ended the inning.
• Ashley Chevalier and Peyton Steffes each singled to begin the second inning, and a bunt single by Hanna Massaro loaded the bases with no outs for the Falcons.
• A fielder's choice grounder resulted in a force play at the plate for the first out, but Hutter doubled to right-center, scoring Steffes and Massaro to cut the Falcons' deficit in half.
• Young worked a quick 1-2-3 inning to send the game to the third, and Kaufman reached on an error before promptly stealing second. Taylor Behrendt walked, but Koosh responded by setting down the next three Falcons to keep her team in the lead.
• Jenkins singled and stole second to begin the UConn third. She advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sac fly.
• It took just one batter for BG to get that run back, as Kendall Mathews led off the fourth inning with a homer to right, her first round-tripper as a Falcon.
• Stella Kiemele replaced Koosh in the circle, and got a line-drive out, but Hutter stole second before Hannah Hunt walked to put runners at the corners. Kiemele got a strikeout for the second out, but Behrendt's single plated Hutter to make it a one-run game.
• Young retired the first two hitters in the UConn fourth, but Hastings reached on an error, advancing to second on the play, and she came around to score on Kaiea Higa's single.
• Once again, the Falcons responded quickly. Steffes led off the fifth with a triple down the right-field line, and an infield single by Massaro put runners at the corners, as Steffes held at third. Massaro then stole second, and both runners scored on a Mathews single to left, tying the game at 6-6.
• Young set down the 4-5-6 hitters in order in the UConn fifth.
• BG took the lead in the sixth, without benefit of a hit. Kaufman began the inning by drawing a walk against Amber Bretton. Bretton retired the next two Falcons, but Hope Jenkins replaced her in the circle and proceeded to issue free passes to Steffes, Massaro and Mathews. The latter walk, BG's fourth of the inning, plated Kaufman to give the Falcons a 7-6 lead.
• Young struck out Savannah Ring, and after Grace Jenkins reached on a BG error, the Falcon senior whiffed Kaitlyn Kibling before getting Hastings to hit into an inning-ending force play.
• Hope Jenkins flirted with danger in the seventh, but got out of the jam. With one out, she walked Hunt, hit Kaufman with a pitch and walked Behrendt. But, the UConn pitcher then got a strikeout and a popup to escape.
• Higa homered to left to begin the bottom of the seventh, and Sydney Marshall entered the circle. Rosie Garcia was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a Grace Jenkins groundout. But, a wild pitch moved Garcia to third, and she scored the winning run when Cat Petteys singled through the right side.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons are scheduled to play four more games in the Chanticleer Showdown, and five more games in all, before leaving Conway.
• BGSU will meet Wisconsin on Saturday morning (March 1) in a 10:00 a.m. start, before playing UConn once again, with the latter game slated to begin at 12:30 p.m.
• Then, on Sunday (March 2), the Falcons again face UW at 10:00 a.m., and BGSU then faces host Coastal Carolina in a game with a 2:00 p.m. start time.
• The Falcons will stay in town following the official conclusion of the tournament, facing CCU on Monday evening (March 3). That game begins at 6:00 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.