BGSU softball (13-11, 1-3) fell 1-0 to Western Michigan (11-12, 2-2) in their first of a three-game series, the first MAC series on the road for the Falcons. It was BG’s second game in MAC play of a 1-0 finish, the other being a win against Central Michigan in game one of the home season last week.
After a one-hit, no-score first half-inning for the Falcons, WMU’s Bella Duncan doubled off Falcon starter Mackenzie Krafcik and scored on a single two at-bats later. The two teams saw no runs on no hits in the second inning, ending on a leather-flashing dive by Peyton Steffes in center field.
Freshman Izzy Ray led off the third inning with a single to left field, her first career hit in her first career at-bat. She was caught stealing later that half inning, and the Falcons failed to score. Western Michigan was retired in order in the bottom, Krafick needing only seven pitches.
Cameron Kaufman smacked a two-out double down the left-field line in the top of the next inning but was stranded, and Bowling Green remained scoreless against Western Michigan’s freshman starter Ava Geyer.
Krafcik allowed a leadoff hit to Caitlin Tighe and a walk with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. BG’s shortstop, Kaufman, made a magnificent 6-3 double play followed by another fielded ground-ball, and stripped the two-on, no-out opportunity from WMU.
A single to left started the fifth inning for the Falcons, senior Hannah Hunt knocking her first in three games. Ray bunted to advance the pinch-running Delaney Davis, but the threat was eliminated by Geyer, keeping the score 1-0.
Kaufman made the first out of the bottom of the fifth and narrowly missed the second out of a double-play just two batters later. A base hit from Duncan created a two-on, two-out opportunity against Krafcik, who got an inning-ending ground ball.
With two errors in the bottom of the sixth, WMU had a runner on first and third base with one out. As the runner on first and third stole, Krafcik struck out the batter and her catcher, Ashley Chevalier, gunned down the runner stealing second, ending the inning with no runs.
The Falcons trailed 1-0 at the top of the seventh inning when Kaufman hit a leadoff infield single. With one out, Hunt laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, advancing Kaufman and allowing herself to reach safely.
Game one of the weekend ended on a fly ball to left field by Ray, and Western Michigan took their first win at home in the 2026 season. Krafcik took the loss amidst six innings pitched, six hits and one earned run, while Geyer took her fourth win in the third shutout of her rookie season.
Kaufman and Hunt were the only Falcons to earn two hits in the game, accounting for four of the team’s six total hits. Duncan scored the only run of the game for Western Michigan on Tighe’s RBI single, the two hitters combining for five of six hits and the only run of the game.
The Falcons and Broncos play again in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21, starting at 1:00 p.m. WMU looks to improve on its 2-2 MAC record, and the Falcons look to climb out of a 1-3 conference standing.
