BGSU softball (10-7) experienced a tough offensive battle in Conway, S.C., on Wednesday, falling 11-6 to Coastal Carolina (12-9).
The Falcons showcased late-game resilience but were unable to overcome a massive early deficit. While the lineup exploded for five runs in a chaotic fifth inning, the team ultimately struggled to contain a powerful Coastal offense.
The Falcons found themselves in a deep hole early, as Coastal built a commanding 9-0 lead through the first four innings.
Coastal’s offense struck immediately, putting up two runs in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double from fifth-year first baseman Georgia Hood and an RBI groundout by junior shortstop Brie Normandin.
They broke the game wide open in the third, utilizing two-run homers from graduate student designated player Kaelin Cash and sophomore utility McKennah Metzger to extend their advantage to 6-0. Hood struck again in the fourth with another two-run blast to make it a nine-run game.
Senior pitcher Mackenzie Krafcik took the loss in the circle for the Falcons, falling to 5-3 on the season after allowing four earned runs over 2.1 innings. Freshman pitcher Avari Sandifer, sophomore pitcher Morgan Beckham, and junior pitcher Alyvia Roth all saw action in relief, with Roth tossing the final 2.0 innings for Bowling Green.
Bowling Green refused to go quietly, mounting a massive five-run rally in the top of the fifth inning to stave off a run-rule loss. Freshman outfielder Hannah Simko and senior utility Katie Hutter sparked the offense with back-to-back singles. Junior infielder Taylor Behrendt then put the Falcons on the board with an RBI single to right field.
From there, BGSU showed incredible plate discipline with the bases loaded. Senior middle infielder Hannah Hunt, junior shortstop Cameron Kaufman, and senior outfielder Kendall Mathews all drew consecutive run-scoring walks, and redshirt sophomore third baseman Addie Martin immediately followed by taking an RBI hit-by-pitch to cut the deficit to 9-5.
Coastal answered back in the bottom of the sixth when Normandin launched a two-run homer to center field, extending the lead to 11-5.
The Falcons attempted one final rally in the seventh when Hunt ripped a double to center field and later scored on an RBI double down the left-field line from Martin. The comeback stalled there, securing the 11-6 final. Simko and Hutter served as consistent bright spots for the offense, each collecting a pair of hits in the contest.
Up Next
The Falcons are back in action on Friday, March 6, versus Charleston Southern in Charleston, South Carolina, with the first game beginning at 4 p.m.
