DeKALB, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University softball team and Northern Illinois University split a pair of pitchers' duels on Saturday (April 5) afternoon. Junior Mackenzie Krafcik fired a complete-game shutout as the Falcons picked up a 1-0 win in the opener, but the Huskies responded with a 2-0 victory in game two. The Mid-American Conference doubleheader took place at Mary M. Bell Field.

Krafcik scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter en route to the second shutout of her BGSU career. The Falcons (13-23, 5-7 MAC) got the only run she would need in the fourth inning, as Hannah Hunt doubled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Kaufman.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The shutout was the Falcons' first this season, and it was the second complete-game shutout of Krafcik's collegiate career.

In game two, Lily Cassell threw a complete-game shutout of her own as the Huskies (11-21, 6-7 MAC) earned the split. Falcon freshman Morgan Beckham allowed only four hits in her own complete-game effort. Beckham faced just four batters over the minimum.

NOTEWORTHY
• ⁠⁠⁠As mentioned, the shutout in Saturday's opening game was the Falcons' first this season, and it was the second complete-game shutout of Mackenzie Krafcik's collegiate career.
• It was BGSU's first shutout win against a MAC opponent since a 1-0 win over Central Michigan in the 2022 MAC Tournament (May 13, 2022, in Oxford, Ohio).
• The shutout was the Falcons' first in a MAC regular-season contest since several weeks before the tourney, when BG picked up a 5-0 victory vs. CMU at Meserve Field (May 4, 2022).
• BG pitching last recorded a true road shutout on March 11, 2022, when BG posted a 5-0 victory over host Lipscomb.
• BGSU's last shutout win against a MAC team on the road came four years ago, also at Northern Illinois and also a 1-0 win (May 7, 2021). Payton Gottshall scattered five hits in that 2021 victory.

BGSU-NIU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The opening game was scoreless through three innings. Taylor Behrendt reached on a two-out walk in the first, Ava McKee singled in the second and Kendall Mathews walked in the third, but only Mathews advanced as far as second base.
• Jenna Turner reached on a leadoff single in the NIU first, and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Lia Nance. But, Mackenzie Krafcik set down the next two hitters, then retired the side in order in the second.
• The hosts threatened in the third, as Kacie Quick led off with a single, and a one-out hit by Turner put two runners aboard. Krafcik, however got each of the next two batters to hit popups, retiring the side.
• BGSU took the lead in the fourth. A miscommunication between two NIU fielders allowed a ball off the bat of Hannah Hunt to land in shallow right-center for a leadoff double. She took third on a sac bunt by McKee, then tagged and scored on a foul fly by Cameron Kaufman.
• The Falcons threatened, but did not score, in the fifth. With two outs, Katie Hutter and Addie Martin drew back-to-back walks, and Behrendt was hit by a pitch. But, a fly ball to left ended the threat.
• NIU got a fifth-inning baserunner, as Quick reached on a bloop double with one out. A ground ball to short allowed the runner to advance to third, but on the next pitch, a grounder to Martin at third resulted in out number three.
• The Huskie sixth inning saw Danielle Stewart single through the left side of the infield with one out. A ground ball to third on the very next pitch led to a force at second, but Katy Ramage followed wiht a single up the middle. But, Krafcik got Rylie Hartman to pop up for the third out
• In the seventh, the BGSU junior got Alana Powell to hit a fly ball to Delaney Davis in left, before catcher McKee made a nifty grab of a foul pop off the bat of Quick. Pinch-hitter Natalie Miller hit a one-hopper to Martin, who fired to first to close out the win.
• Turner and Quick each went 2-for-3 for the hosts, while three different Falcons had one hit apiece. 
• Krafcik threw 86 pitches in the win, while two Huskie hurlers, Stewart and Taylor Mackin, combined for 128 pitches in the game. Krafcik threw 55 strikes among those 86 pitches.

BGSU-NIU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Turner led off the NIU first inning with a single deep in the hole at shortstop, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a fly ball to right. But, BG starting pitcher Morgan Beckham got Madison Mathews to pop up for the second out, then induced Ramage to hit an inning-ending fly ball to left.
• In the third, Powell led off with a single up the middle, and Nance beat out a slow roller back to the circle. A popup to short produced an out, and a fly ball to center resulted in out number two. The Huskies, however, successfully executed a double steal, with Powell scoring on the play, and a double by Mathews scored Nance with NIU's second run.
• Meanwhile, Lily Cassell was perfect through four innings, and retired the first two batters in the fifth. Hunt's liner to lead off that inning was caught just above the ground by shortstop Powell, but after a ground ball for the second out, Kaufman roped a Cassell pitch to left for a single. The Huskies, however, got a fly ball to center on the next pitch, ending the half inning.
• BG put two runners aboard in the sixth, as Mathews singled wth one out, and a sac bunt by Hutter was misplayed for an infield error. After a popup, Behrendt scorched a Cassell offering, but the bullet was hit right at shortstop Powell, who made the grab for the third out.
• Hunt led off the seventh with a single, but a fly ball was followed by a double-play grounder, and the Huskies had the victory.
• NIU had a slim 4-3 advantage in hits, as no player on either team had more than one hit in the game.
• Cassell earned the win, giving up three hits in her shutout. She threw 50 of her 69 total pitches for strikes.
• Beckham threw 79 pitches in her complete-game effort, with 55 strikes among those 79 pitches. 
• BGSU pitchers did not walk a batter in either game on Saturday.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Huskies wrap up their series with a Sunday (April 6) game at Mary M. Bell Field. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. ET.

• Then, the Orange and Brown will play a non-conference game at Notre Dame on Wednesday (April 9) night. That contest, which begins at 8:00 p.m., will be televised on ACC Network. 

• The Falcons' next home game is scheduled for Friday (April 11), when Western Michigan comes to Meserve Field to begin a three-game weekend series.

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.