BGSU Earns a Saturday Split in the Dome

Saturday, February 11

Rosemont, IL

10:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

1-2

Eastern Kentucky

2-1

Bowling Green

Eastern Kentucky

Makailah Dees had a career-high three hits, scoring twice & driving in three runs in the win over Valpo

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

February 11, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Falcons Get Stellar Pitching for Second-Straight Day, See Bats Come Alive in the Nightcap

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University softball team picked up a split in Saturday (Feb. 11) action at the DePaul Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. The Falcons dropped a 2-0 decision to Eastern Kentucky before putting some crooked numbers on the board in a 7-2 win over Valparaiso.

BGSU, now 2-2 on the young season, got solid pitching for the second consecutive game. The Falcons have now allowed exactly two runs in each of this season's four games so far, and BG hurlers have giving up only 12 hits in 26 innings of work.

Saturday's opener saw EKU score single runs off Mackenzie Krafcik in the second inning and Hannah Davies in the fifth. The Colonels outhit the Falcons by a narrow 4-3 count, but EKU pitcher Lauren Narvaez was able to keep the Brown and Orange off of the scoreboard.

A pair of Valpo pitchers had no such luck in the nightcap, as BGSU exploded for nine hits, including three extra-base knocks. Makailah Dees went 3-for-4 in the win, scoring two runs and driving in three, while Delaney Davis reached in all four plate appearances, with a pair of singles, a pair of walks and a pair of runs scored.

Sophie Weber was 2-for-3 with a walk in the win over the Beacons as well.

In her BGSU debut, Scarlet Anderson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Valpo was able to get a rally going. But, that rally was too little and too late as Anderson picked up the first victory of her collegiate career.

NOTE OF THE DAY
• Makailah Dees had the first three-hit game of her career in the win over Valpo, with a single, a double and a triple in four at-bats.
• Dees had a total of three RBI in her first two seasons as a Falcon, but had three in the Valpo game alone and now has a team-leading four RBI this season.

THIS ISN'T THE NOTE OF THE DAY, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN
• Falcon pitchers have given up just 12 hits in 26 innings over the first two days of the season. BGSU is allowing opponents to hit just .132 so far in 2023.

EASTERN KENTUCKY GAME – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Mackenzie Krafcik, making her first collegiate start, retired the side in order. Meanwhile, the Falcons got a Katie Hutter single in the first inning and a Sophie Weber double in the second, but EKU starter Lauren Narvaez did not allow any other baserunners in either inning.
• The Colonels broke on top in the second, as Vianna Barron led off with a double, but was retired on a fielder's choice later in the inning. WIth two outs, however, a Nikola Schwarzingerova single plated Lilly Davis with the game's first run.
• EKU looked to increase the lead against Hannah Davies in the third, as Jaelin Haynes singled and stole second. A pair of grounders produced two outs, however, and a popup to first ended the inning. The Colonels got a pair of one-out walks in the fourth, but Davies retired the next two hitters.
• Hannah Hunt singled for the Falcons in the fifth, but a fielder's-choice grounder and another infield roller ended that half-inning.
• In the bottom of the inning, Maggie Pertee homered with one out to double the EKU lead. Jeanay Riley followed with a walk, but was retired on the basepaths, and Davies did not allow another baserunner.
• But, neither did Narvaez, as she retired the side in order in both the sixth and seventh frames to complete a three-hit shutout.

VALPARAISO GAME – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons broke on top right away in Saturday's second game, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. BGSU's first five hitters reached against Valpo starting pitcher Caitlyn Kowalski. Delaney Davis began the half-inning with an 11-pitch at-bat, battling back from an 0-2 count and fouling off six pitches in the at-bat before drawing a walk.
• Davis promptly stole second, and scored easily when Makailah Dees tripled. Katie Hutter singled to center, picking up her first collegiate RBI in the process, and Sophie Weber followed with a single up the middle. Ashley Chevalier drew a walk before Kowalski was able to retire the side.
• BG threatened again in the second, as Davis and Dees had back-to-back singles with two down. Hutter walked to load the bases, but Kowalski then got the third out.
• Ally Bezjak walked in the third, but the Falcons got no other baserunners. In the fourth, however, the Falcons exploded for a five-run frame.
• Mackenna Fry drew a leadoff walk, and a bunt single by Davis sent pinch-runner Marlie McNulty to second. Dees doubled to right-center to plate both runners and make it a 4-0 game.
• Dees took third on a groundout, then scored on Weber's single. With two down, Peyton Dolejs tripled down the line and continued home on an error, with Weber scoring on the play as well.
• Meanwhile, Scarlet Anderson allowed several baserunners, but none via a base hit. Valpo loaded the bases in the first inning on a hit-by-pitch, a throwing error and a walk. But, with one out, Anderson got Kimberli Rodas to hit a grounder that resulted in a force play at the plate. Then, an Autumn Acord ground ball retired the side.
• Valpo got a baserunner via a walk in both the second and the fourth, but Anderson allowed nothing else, and she set down the Beacons in order in the third.
• The Beacons got a runner as far as third base on an error and a wild pitch in the fifth, but Anderson got a fly ball to right to end the inning.
• Davis walked and stole second in the fifth, but BG – leading by seven – could not push the game-ending run across the plate.
• In the Valpo sixth, a leadoff walk was followed by an error, but the Falcosn got an out at third base on the latter play. A hit better, howeer, put two runners aboard, and with two outs, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. But, Anderson got Lyna Vasquez to pop up to third.
• Looking to walk it off in the sixth, the Falcons got a runner as far as third base after Weber walked and Hannah Hunt reached on an error. A grounder advanced the runners, but another ground ball retired the side.
• Anderson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but Kayla Skapyak broke it up with a leadoff single. A Regi Hecker double and an Alexis Johnson single got the Beacons on the scoreboard, and a Taylor Herschbach single plated another run. A two-out walk loaded the bases, but Anderson got a ground ball to short to close out the complete-game victory.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons complete weekend action in the DePaul Dome Tournament with a Sunday (Feb. 12) contest vs. Western Illinois. First pitch is set for 10:00 a.m (ET).

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.