Falcons Topple Titans, Take Two in Twinbill

Saturday, March 30

Bowling Green, Ohio

2 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

3-18

Detroit Mercy

1-21

Detroit Mercy

Bowling Green

Mackenzie Krafcik v Buffalo - March 15, 2024

Photo by: Ryan Griswold, BGSU Athletics

March 30, 2024 | Softball

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Krafcik Fires One-Hit Shutout in Nightcap as BGSU Completes Saturday Sweep

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team rallied for a game-one win over the University of Detroit Mercy, then rode that momentum to a run-rule victory in game two. The Falcons topped the Titans by scores of 5-4 and 8-0 on Saturday afternoon (March 30) at Meserve Field.

The Falcons (4-18) twice rallied from behind in the opening game, including a two-run sixth inning that gave the hosts the lead for good. Then, BGSU scored in every inning in the second game, while sophomore Mackenzie Krafcik threw a complete-game one-hitter.

Krafcik needed just 65 pitches to pick up the first shutout of her career. In her fifth start as a Falcon, she walked two Titans and struck out four, facing three batters over the minimum.

Senior Taylor Turner (four innings) and freshman Emma Denison (three innings) allowed just one earned run apiece in the opener, with Denison picking up her first career win in relief.

At the plate, freshman Aaralyn Nogay and sophomore Delaney Davis each had three hits on the day. Nogay and fellow freshman Taylor Behrendt each scored three runs in the twinbill.

NOTEWORTHY
• Freshman Taylor Behrendt picked up her first collegiate hit in Saturday's second game, on a line drive single to right that also resulted in her first RBI as a Falcon. Behrendt walked three times, stole three bases and scored three runs in the doubleheader.
• Sophomore Delaney Davis entered Saturday's action having batted just five times in 2024, with no hits on the season. She wound up with three hits on the day, including a 2-for-3 effort in game two, and scored two runs.
• Sophomore Mackenzie Krafcik, as mentioned, fired a complete-game, one-hit shutout. It was the first shutout of her career, coming in just her fifth start as a Falcon.
• Freshman Emma Denison picked up her first collegiate win in the opener, with three innings of one-run, four-hit relief.
• BGSU stole a total of 11 bases in the sweep, with five thefts in game one and six more in the nightcap.

BGSU took the first game of today's DH! Highlights? We've got some!#AyZiggy | 🟠🥎🟤 pic.twitter.com/UT46KrAN5I
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) March 30, 2024

BGSU-UDM GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The opener was a back-and-forth game that saw BGSU ultimately come out on top. The Falcons took an early lead with a first-inning run. Aaralyn Nogay walked, stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Peyton Dolejs. Walks to Reagan Williamson and Cameron Kaufman loaded the bases with just one down, before Marti Henkel's grounder to the right side was misplayed for an error, with Nogay crossing the plate.
• UDM starter Olivia Warrington bounced back after the three walks and the error to get a strikeout and an inning-ending grounder to short.
• The Titans' Avery Paul tied the score with a two-out homer to left in the second, and after Warrington shut down the Falcons in the bottom of the inning, UDM took the lead in the third.
• With one out, a walk and an error put a pair of runners aboard, and after a steal, Amanda Schick's grounder to the right side plated a run. Then, Claire Borg followed with a single up the middle that made it a 3-1 game.
• Warrington retired nine-straight batters before Lexi Carver singled with one out in the fourth. Pinch-runner Kaylee Cole immediately stole second, and after Taylor Behrendt walked, a double steal advanced the runners, with Cole coming around to score after the catcher's throw to third got away. Then, Wynnie Reid singled up the middle to score Behrendt and tie the contest at 3-3.
• Emma Denison came on in relief of Taylor Turner to begin the fifth inning, and needed just six pitches to retire the side. But, UDM broke through with some well-placed hits in the sixth.
• With one down, Jada Davis hit a blooper into shallow left-center, just over the outstretched glove of leaping shortstop Kaufman. Then, Paul followed with a scorcher to the right side that was off the glove of diving first baseman Carver, putting two runners aboard.
• Alexis Hoff then hit a ball into right-center for a run-scoring single. The throw home was off line, but pitcher Denison alertly backed up the play, catching the ball in foul territory near the third-base dugout and firing to third to cut down a runner trying to take an extra base. She then got pinch-hitter Jordan Kavanaugh to hit an inning-ending ground ball to short.
• Carver led off the bottom of the inning with a single, her second hit of the game, and Behrendt walked to move pinch-runner Ashley Chevalier to second. One out later, a Delaney Davis ball to the right side was misplayed by second baseman Hoff, and her throw to third was wild, allowing Chevalier to score and the runners to take second and third.
• The next batter, Nogay, lifted a fly ball to left, allowing Behrendt to tag and score what would prove to be the winning run. A scorcher by Dolejs was caught in right field to end the inning.
• In the seventh, Nogay made a diving catch of a Trinity Fessler drive in left for the second out of the frame. Alison Donaugh, UDM's last hope, singled to left-center. But, pinch-runner Olivia Malcolm was picked off first base, as catcher Chevalier fired a ball down to first baseman Henkel, who applied the game-ending tag.
• UDM outhit the Falcons, 7-5, in the opener. Both Hoff and Paul went 2-for-3 and drove in a run.
• For the hosts, Carver was 2-for-3, while Behrendt walked twice and scored twice.
• Denison picked up the win in relief, allowing one run and four hits in three innings. Turner, the starter, surrendered three runs (just one earned) and three hits in her four innings of work.

BGSU-UDM GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• BGSU scored in all five innings in the second game, jumping on top early and taking control. Nogay led off the home half of the first inning with an infield hit, stole second and took third on a Dolejs ground ball. A Williamson liner was caught at first base, but a two-out error on Kaufman's grounder allowed Nogay to score and kept the inning alive.
• After Kaufman stole second, Henkel took advantage of the extended inning with a run-scoring single up the middle that gave BG a 2-0 lead.
• Mackenzie Krafcik set down the Titans in the second, with Carver making three unassisted putouts at first base, and the BG offense went back to work. Behrendt walked, and a one-out single by Davis put runners at the corners. Davis then stole second, and when the throw by the catcher sailed into center, Behrendt trotted home and Davis came all the way around to score as well.
• Jaiden Lara led off the third inning with a single, but that would prove to be the only hit Krafcik would allow. A nice stop by Behrendt near the third-base bag resulted in a force at second, and Krafcik then struck out back-to-back batters to end the inning.
• Kaufman doubled to the gap in right-center with one out in the bottom of the frame, and after Carver was hit by a pitch with two down, Behrendt hit a liner that fell in front of the charging rightfielder, scoring Kaufman to make it a 5-0 game.
• Davis led off the Falcon fourth with her second hit of the game, and Nogay followed with a bunt single that put two runners on. Dolejs singled to left-center, with Davis holding at third after she was forced to wait and see if the ball might be caught.
• The Titans made a pitching change, but a wild pitch plated a run, Kaufrman drew a one-out walk, and a two-out free pass to Carver allowed Nogay to score the Falcons' sixth run.
• Krafcik allowed a one-out walk in the fifth, then got a fielder's-choice grounder and a popup to Reid at second.
• Reid then drew a leadoff walk in the BG half of the inning, before pinch-runner Peyton Steffes stole second. A line drive off the bat of Davis was caught in center, but Nogay followed with a single through the right side of the infield, plating Steffes with a game-ending run.
• BGSU had nine hits in just four-plus innings, with Nogay going 3-for-4 in the game. Davis was 2-of-3, and Davis, Nogay and Kaufman each scored a pair of runs in the win.
• Krafcik evened her record at 2-2 on the year, as she needed just 65 pitches to pick up the complete-game, one-hit shutout.
• Donaugh allowed seven runs (just three earned) and eight hits in three-plus innings, while Borg threw 1 1/3 innings of relief and allowed one run and one hit.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons return to Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday (April 2), heading to Oxford to face league-leading Miami in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Miami Softball Stadium.

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.