The BGSU softball team (18-26, 6-17 MAC) hosted the UMass Minutewomen (17-28, 8-16 MAC) on Saturday, losing 2-1.
The two teams were playing for the series, having split their doubleheader the previous day.
The starting lineup was junior outfielder Peyton Steffes, junior infielder Taylor Behrendt, senior middle infielder Hannah Hunt, redshirt-sophomore third baseman Addie Martin, junior Cameron Kaufman, senior catcher Ashley Chevalier, senior outfielder Kendall Mathews, senior utility Katie Hutter, and sophomore outfielder Hanna Massaro. Sophomore pitcher Madison Wendel started on the mound.
Typically at shortstop, Kaufman started the game at first base. She got a putout at first to give the Falcons their first out. UMass outfielder Brooke Musch stole second base and later reached third, but did not score. All three of the Falcons’ putouts were at first base.
Steffes flew out to right field. Behrendt got put out at first. Hunt flied out to left field.
Steffes caught a flyout at center field. Hunt caught a pop-up in the infield. Behrendt grabbed a bouncing ground ball between second and third, delivering it to Kaufman for the third out.
Martin hit a deep flyout that was caught near the left-field warning track. Kaufman hit one deep to right field to get on base. The shortstop caught out Chevalier. Mathews struck out looking, leaving Kaufman on base.
Behrendt delivered another putout to Kaufman. Kaufman made an athletic play to get the next out, diving to her left to grab a ball hit directly to first base. BG got another routine out.
The Falcons were held scoreless in the bottom of the third.
UMass opened the scoring at the top of the fourth; a runner was caught in a pickle between first and second, allowing Musch to score.
Hunt was flied out. Martin got on base on a hit-by-pitch. She then stole second and proceeded to score on a single by Chevalier, tying the game at 1-1. The inning ended on a pop-out by Mathews.
Sophomore Morgan Beckham took the mound to start the fifth. UMass got two runners on base, but Beckham struck out a UMass hitter swinging. The Minutewomen loaded the bases, but the Falcons secured a third out to hold them scoreless.
UMass had a solid defensive start to the inning, getting back-to-back putouts at first. Steffes got on base and stole second. Behrendt got walked to first. The inning ended on a flyout from Hunt.
UMass got two runners on base. The Falcons got two outs, the second of which came on an athletic play as Martin threw it to Behrendt at third base. UMass scored on a left-field hit from junior outfielder Grace Colucci. Beckham got a strikeout to end the scoring.
The Falcons failed to get on base in the bottom of the sixth.
“Our pitchers did a good job and kept us in the game,” head coach Michelle Gardner said. “I thought we were going to get a switch flipped (offensively), and it just didn’t happen.”
Senior pitcher Mackenzie Krafcik replaced Beckham on the mound in the seventh inning; the Falcons got three quick outs and allowed just one hit, and entered the bottom of the 7th trailing 2-1.
Freshman outfielder Hannah Simko got an at-bat to start the final frame. She struck out swinging, and Hutter popped up to shortstop. She was caught out at third, as UMass secured the 2-1 game win and a 2-1 series win.
Beckham officially took the loss for the Falcons, but she and Wendel gave up just one earned run apiece, while Krafcik gave up zero earned runs.
“Shoutout to the pitchers. They did a great job keeping us in the game,” Chevalier said. “We just have to get it going offensively a little more, but we have more games to play.”
After the game, Falcon seniors were honored for Senior Recognition Day. The honorees were:
- Ashley Chevalier
- Delaney Davis
- Hannah Hunt,
- Katie Hutter,
- Mackenzie Krafcik
- Kendall Mathews
- Alyvia Roth
“[These seniors] put in the time, they put in the effort, and win, lose or draw, they are in it for the right reasons,” Gardner said.
The Falcons take on Oakland in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Coverage can be found at bgfalconmedia.com.
