In an only one-win rescheduled five-game weekend, BGSU Softball had one fantastic day with two subpar in their Norman Tournament in Norman, Oklahoma. Although their representation in the win column wasn’t the most fantastic, great things were seen in a smattering throughout the series in all aspects of the game.
Head coach Michelle Gardner’s 3-7 record ranks seventh in the MAC in overall win percentage. It also marks the halfway point to 2024’s season win total (six), taking the 2024 squad until March 30 to reach the same mark.
Saturday 2/22:
Wichita State over Bowling Green 15-4 (five inn.)
Abilene Christian over Bowling Green 8-5
Sunday 2/23:
Tulsa over Bowling Green 7-0
Monday 2/24:
Oklahoma over Bowling Green 8-5 (eight inn.)
Bowling Green over Tulsa 9-4
Too Soon(er)?
While it may not seem like one well-played day out of three is good, it certainly is in context.
The Monday loss was to Oklahoma, the current #2 team in the nation and a four-time defending national champion. A couple of runs and a game within five runs would be an absolute win for BG.
A 3-0 lead through one inning didn’t feel like enough, sure enough, a grand slam in the second for the Sooners took the lead.
The 4-4 tie didn’t seem like enough for BG either.
Neither was the 5-4 lead or the 5-5 tie through seven innings.
It was not enough to run support. A three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth by Oklahoma to walk off the Falcons. The even more heartbreaking part was it should have gone at least nine innings, Cam Kaufman making a two-out routine-play error to extend the inning and allow for the game-winner.
Even with the loss, it was arguably BG’s best game played of the season. Not only did they hang with a top-five team in the NCAA, but they also played their third-best statistical game of the season. All against some of the best talent the U.S. has to offer.
A reassuring part of the game was the way they hung in as well. They held a top offense in the NCAA to five earned runs with only three pitchers, one swing for Madi Young giving us her four runs, and only one on-five hits for Scarlett Anderson and Mackenzie Krafcik in 27 batters faced.
It was a team effort in the pitchers’ circle and a true team effort in the order as well. All batters reached base except Kaufman (she had an RBI sacrifice), six players got hits, five got an RBI and all contributed positively to the game in some way.
Best game played of the season against the best team BG will play all year? Pretty solid stuff. It’s too soon to tell, but the game is a very good sign of the potential of this team.
Orange and Brown Streaks
Most BGSU games this season have been decided in only one good, or one bad inning of play from the Falcon’s offense or pitching.
In six of BG’s seven losses, 33 of 44 runs scored by opponents have come in only one inning of the game, and 14 of 16 runs scored by Bowling Green also coming in one inning of the contest.
Meanwhile in the three wins this season, BG has put together a more sustained offense. They scored three innings in a row in the first game against Monmouth, four total innings in the second game, and also scored in three separate innings in the Tulsa win (9-4) and Oklahoma loss (a loss, but their best game played so far).
It seems pretty clear. BG puts together game-long sustained offense, they win or at least compete at a high level. Winning one inning is valuable when coupled with two or three other high-quality innings.
Halfway to six
In 2024, BGSU Softball under Candace Fenton-Bockbrader reached six wins through 44 games played, three total games won through March 30, 2024, and only one pre-MAC play.
In 2025, BGSU Softball under Gardner has three wins in 10 games, on pace for 13 wins this season. 13 would be the most wins for BGSB since the 2022 season, and the Falcons have not yet started MAC play, which tends to be more winnable than the non-conference schedule.
Statistically, this year’s team has around .20 higher batting average, .090 higher OPS, .091 higher slugging percentage, almost half as many doubles and as many home runs as in 2024 with arguably less talent and in a more difficult stretch of games. To say Gardner has had an impact (in a short sample of the season) is an understatement.
Standouts
Behrendt had a standout weekend in Norman, the best five-game stretch of the young player’s career. Amidst playing fantastic first base, Behrendt took great at-bats going 2/3 in the loss to Tulsa and 3/4 and three RBIs in the win, also doubling in both games.
She is a top three registered batter for BG, starting every game for the Falcons and recording one of the higher marks in OPS (.831), OBP (.412), SLG (.419), and the highest batting average (.355).
Jr. C Ashley Chevalier- vs. Oklahoma | three at-bats, two hits, one RBI, one 2B, one sacrifice bunt
Chevalier has officially recorded the first hit of the season for a Falcon catcher, having a great game against #2 Oklahoma. She most importantly hit an RBI single to left field to give BG a 3-0 lead in the first, and a one-out double in the sixth which inevitably scored a go-ahead run in the sixth.
Chevalier also caught a Sooner stealing third in the first inning, an electric play for her third caught runner this season.
Through the eight games previous, the catcher spot had been a hole in the batting order, contributing statistically nothing to the offense. With the good game on a big stage, hopefully, the catcher position, and Chevalier, will take a step forward to decent.
Up Next
Oklahoma may have been their toughest game, but Coastal Carolina’s Chanticleer Showdown may prove to be their most difficult weekend in the depth of talent. UConn and Wisconsin may not be in the top 25 teams, but they are good power-four programs that will be tough going for the Falcons. Coastal Carolina, Gardner’s ex-team, is 11-2, with very impressive wins and a great loss.
BGSU will play each of the three teams three times. Oklahoma was, most likely, considered an unwinnable game. The way they played against the Sooners should give everyone hope that no game is unwinnable. BGSU can compete with every team left on their schedule, including their final two weekends of strictly non-conference play.
