Falcons Eclipse the Zips, 7-6, in Sunday-Afternoon Thriller

Sunday, April 7

Bowling Green, Ohio

12 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

5-22, 2-9

Akron

16-19, 7-5

Akron

Bowling Green

Freshman Taylor Behrendt drove in four runs in BG's win on Sunday

Photo by: Ryan Griswold, BGSU Athletics

April 07, 2024 | Softball

Box Score Support BGSU Softball

BG rallies with two runs in the seventh to walk it off

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, posting a walk-off win over the University of Akron on Sunday afternoon (April 7). The Mid-American Conference thriller took place at Meserve Field.

Freshman Aaralyn Nogay's two-out single scored sophomore Ashley Chevalier with the winning run. Nogay and Chevalier were two of the many key components of the Falcons' Sunday victory.

BGSU led for nearly all of the game after scoring four first-inning runs. But, the Zips scored four times in the sixth inning to tie things up, then took the lead with an unearned run in the top of the seventh.

Reagan Williamson led off the BG seventh with a walk, and Marti Henkel's sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Peyton Steffes to second. Chevalier walked after falling behind, 0-2, in the count, but a popup followed.

Down to their final out, the Falcons (5-22, 2-9 MAC) turned to pinch-hitter Scarlet Anderson. Anderson came through with a base hit – her first of the year – to score Steffes with the tying run.

Another pinch-hitter, Wynnie Reid, kept the inning alive by drawing a walk to load the bases. Then, Nogay singled through the right side of the Akron infield, with Chevalier scoring the winning run.

Freshman Taylor Behrendt drove in four runs, the highest total of her young career, and was one of four Falcons (Henkel, Nogay and Peyton Dolejs) with two hits in the win.

BG batters drew eight walks, with Chevalier and Williamson each walking three times. Chevalier reached base in all four of her trips to the plate on Sunday.

Lily Sullivan was 3-for-4 for the Zips (16-19, 7-5 MAC).

NOTE OF THE DAY
• Freshman Taylor Behrendt had both the first multiple-hit game and the first multi-RBI contest of her young career, going 2-for-4 with her first career double and driving in four runs.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY
• Sophomore Ashley Chevalier reached base in seven of her eight plate appearances (.875 OBP) in the Akron series. Chevalier went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch in Saturday's second game. Then, on Sunday, she was 1-for-1 with three walks and two runs scored.
• Senior Peyton Dolejs had a hit in six-straight at-bats, going 4-for-4 in Saturday's second game, then picking up hits in each of her first two plate appearances on Sunday. She raised her batting average 56 points in the two games.
• Four Falcons – Chevalier, Dolejs, Aaralyn Nogay and Reagan Williamson – had an on-base percentage of .500 or higher in the Akron series.

Falcons Win!

FINAL | BGSU 7, UA 6#AyZiggy | 🟠🥎🟤 pic.twitter.com/7BQsq8hat1
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) April 7, 2024

BGSU-AKRON – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons got off to a tremendous start. After Mackenzie Krafcik worked a 1-2-3 first inning, BGSU scored four times in the bottom of the frame.
• Peyton Dolejs drilled a ball to right-center for a one-out double, but UA starter Cailey Joyce retired the next hitter, with Dolejs advancing to third on a groundout. Reagan Williamson drew a two-out walk to put runners at the corners, and Marti Henkel singled to score Dolejs, and after a walk to Ashley Chevalier loaded the bases, Taylor Behrendt promptly unloaded them with a three-run double to right-center. The Falcons had an early 4-0 lead.
• Krafcik allowed a one-out single in the second, but first baseman Henkel grabbed a line drive and stepped on the bag for an unassisted double play that ended the half-inning.
• The Zips got on the board with an unearned run in the third. Delaney Jenkinson led off with a single, took second on a grounder and came around to score on a two-out error, making it a 4-1 game.
• But, Behrendt and BG bounced back with a run in the bottom of the inning. Williamson drew her second walk of the game with one out, and Henkel reached on an apparent single that turned into a fielder's choice when a BG pinch-runner, waiting to see if the ball would be caught in right field, was out at second.
• Chevalier followed with a single that moved Henkel to second, and Behrendt singled up the middle to score Henkel.
• Jenkinson and Tiffany Stevens began the Akron fifth with back-to-back singles, and a sac bunt put two runners in scoring position with just one out. But, on a bunt by Sivek, third baseman Behrendt threw the ball to catcher Chevalier to cut down Jenkinson attempting to score. Then, Krafcik got a ground ball to second that ended the inning.
• In the bottom of the fifth, BG put two runners aboard for the second-straight inning, but could not increase the lead. That looked to be costly after the Zips scored four times in the sixth.
• Autumn Bailey singled to begin the inning, and quickly scored on a Sophia Wygast double. A Sullivan base hit prompted the Falcons to make a pitching change, but Macy Walters greeted BG relief pitcher Emma Denison with an RBI single. Walters was out at second on the play, but Jenkinson's fielder's choice grounder to the left side of the infield scored a run, with Jenkinson safe at first on the play. Stevens walked, and on an infield-fly play, both runners moved up on an error. Then, walks to Sivek and Meagan Lee tied the contest. Taylor Turner entered the circle and got an inning-ending line drive to Cameron Kaufman at shortstop.
• UA relief pitcher Walters allowed a one-out single to Aaralyn Nogay, who continued on to second by virtue of an Akron error. Nogay took third on a grounder to second, but another grounder to second sent the game to the seventh inning with the teams tied at 5-5.
• In the seventh, Sullivan reached on a one-out error, and the Zips loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Then, a Stevens sacrifice fly allowed Sullivan to score the go-ahead run.
• But, Williamson drew her third walk of the game to begin the BG seventh, and Henkel's sacrifice bunt sent pinch-runner Peyton Steffes to second.
• Chevalier took two strikes to begin her seventh-inning at-bat, then fouled off two pitches before taking four consecutive balls. The walk was her third of the game.
• Behrendt very nearly ended the contest, with a drive to left that was just inches foul. Her at-bat ended with a popup for the second out, but pinch-hitter Scarlet Anderson came through with a single to score Steffes with the tying run.
• Wynnie Reid followed, and kept the rally alive by drawing a pinch-hit walk, before Nogay laced a single through the right side of the infield to score Chevalier with the winning run.

STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Turner earned the win in relief, pitching an inning and a third and allowing one unearned run and no hits.
• Walters took the loss, pitching four innings of relief for the Zips. She allowed two runs and five hits, but walked five Falcons.
• UA starter Joyce also gave up five hits, as well as five runs, in 2 2/3 innings. Joyce issued three walks, and the two Akron pitchers combined for just one strikeout.
• Krafcik allowed four runs (three earned) and eight hits in five-plus innings of work, striking out two batters without issuing a walk.
• Henkel was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Behrendt, Dolejs and Nogay all were 2-for-4. Henkel scored a pair of runs, with Behrendt picking up a career-high four RBI.
• Chevalier and Williamson each walked three times, and Chevalier also had a base hit. She scored two runs in the win.
• Sullivan was 3-for-4 for the Zips, with Jenkinson going 2-of-3 with two runs scored.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons hit the road next weekend, facing Ball State in a three-game series. The teams are scheduled to play a single game on Friday (April 12) followed by a Saturday (April 13) doubleheader.

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.