Bowling Green softball plays their final conference games of the regular season on Wednesday against Miami (OH), a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Meserve Field. The Falcon’s 7-17 record has been eliminated from Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament contention; however, BG can pry their first win of the season against a top-four MAC team.
Miami (15-7 MAC) has rotated through the top four in the standings throughout the season, never falling out of it. The MAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll picked Miami to finish as the second-place team behind Ohio, which was an incredible vote of confidence in first-year head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate.
The Redhawks have the fourth-best team earned run average (ERA) in the MAC, which is understandable considering Gardner-Colegate’s pitching background. They rely heavily on two arms, sophomore Madilyn Reeves and junior Lea Chevrier, who recorded 305.1 innings pitched with 324.2 total for the Redhawks. Reeves is the ace; her 3.4 ERA is sixth in the MAC, with the second most wins, most complete games, and most innings pitched and strikeouts.
A two-game series helps the Falcons. She has started two games of a weekend MAC series seven times this season, BG only having to see her once and possibly in a relief appearance.
Gardner-Colegate supports her pitchers with the second-highest runs scored in the MAC, with the best slugging percentage, third-best on-base percentage, and batting average. Their 60 home runs and 81 doubles lead MAC softball, senior Jenna Golembiewski leading conference homers with 17 and senior Chloe Parks leading doubles with 18.
BGSU has struggled to put both pitching and hitting together in the same game but has competed in a few games against top teams. The Falcons have played five games decided by two runs or fewer against current MAC Tournament teams, still competing in games that are more out of reach.
Michelle Gardner’s top three in the order still holds .300-plus batting averages with a team .743 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Added to this is shortstop Cam Kaufman, who is continuing to improve after her return from injury before MAC play. She had only two hits in her first eight games back, knocking ten hits in the six games since.
The pitchers’ circle, which was outstanding for the first weeks of conference play, has dried up somewhat. Many of the losses during the current eight-game losing streak come on a few big offensive innings for the opponent, premier starters Mackenzie Krafcik and Morgan Beckham being generally solid in the majority of their individual innings pitched.
Gardner and Bowling Green look to snap the eight-game losing streak against Miami in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. today. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak and Henry Kosko will have the call of the first game on Falcon Radio (streaming at bgfalconmedia.com) and the second on WBGU 88.1 FM.
