BGSU softball (3-8) fell just short of an upset victory in the opening game of the Chanticleer Showdown after a seventh-inning home run and a walk-off single lifted UConn (9-6) ahead after a back-and-forth battle.
An all-around offensive performance from the Falcon offense saw eight of nine starts reach base and four hitters earn two hits on the day in a game where BG outhit the Huskies 11-5.
Senior pitcher Madi Young shined in her best outing of the year, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits and three strikeouts despite entering as the third Falcon pitcher of the first inning.
Junior transfer Kendall Mathews hit her first home run as a Falcon in a stellar 2-3 day with four RBIs and a walk.
The Huskies ran through all nine batters in the bottom of the first inning, forcing three different Falcon pitchers into the game despite only one hit. Three walks, one hit-by-pitch, one fielding error and one wild pitch did the damage, as only two of the four runs allowed were earned.
BG got on the board the old-fashioned way in the top of the second as three singles and an RBI double by a designated player Katie Hutter scored two Falcons, bringing the score to 4-2 early on.
Mathews continues to catch fire at the plate, hitting her first career home run ahead of first baseman Taylor Behrendt taking advantage of yet another double by Hutter, but it would still leave the Falcons down 6-5 going into the fifth.
The Falcons tied the game up in the top of the fifth on yet another clutch hit Mathews hit, this time a single that scored outfielders Hanna Massaro and Peyton Steffes, tying the game up at six.
A bases-loaded walk by Mathews gave the Falcons the lead in the top of the sixth after a hitless inning loaded up the bases, allowing the fourth walk to be the difference between a tie and the lead. The bottom third of the Falcon lineup continued to produce, with the bottom three hitters reaching base a combined nine times in the game.
Junior first baseman Kaiea Higa hit her first home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning, tying the game up at seven and putting the pressure on freshman pitcher Syndey Marshall to get the Falcons to extra innings.
Shortstop Cat Petteys became the hero for the Huskies with an RBI single that scored third baseman Rosie Garcia, walking off a comeback victory for UConn.
The Orange and Brown will continue the Chanticleer Showdown on Saturday with a doubleheader starting with a matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers (9-6) at 10 a.m. and ending with the second and final game against the UConn Huskies at 12:30 p.m.
