Bowling Green State University Athletics
Thursday, February 12
Greenville, S.C.
4 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
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Michelle Gardner earned her 400th career win on Thursday
Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics
Gardner Picks Up 400th Career Win as Falcons Flatten Furman
February 12, 2026 | Softball
Paladins bounce back to take nightcap, deal BGSU first loss of season
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Bowling Green State University softball coach Michelle Gardner reached a milestone on Thursday (Feb. 12). Gardner picked up her 400th career win as a head coach as the Falcons topped Furman University, 17-8, in the opening game of Furman's Purple & White Classic at Pepsi Stadium.
In the second game of the day, the Paladins bounced back to post a 10-4 win over the Falcons, snapping BG's three-game season-opening win streak.
In the opener, the Falcons put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in five of the seven innings. BGSU batters drew 13 walks, and once they reached base, the Falcons were a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen-base attempts. The stolen-base total is believed to be a school record.
Each of the nine starters in the Falcons' batting order reached base at least twice via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch.
Ashley Chevalier had six RBI in the opener, doubling her previous career best. Chevalier had three hits, including a double, while Cameron Kaufman, Hanna Massaro and Kendall Mathews all homered.
Kaufman scored four runs in the win, walking twice and driving in three, while Addie Martin scored three times and Chevalier, Massaro and Mathews two apiece. Kaufman and Martin each stole three bases.
Mathews homered in each end of the doubleheader, while Martin also went deep in the nightcap.
NOTE OF THE DAY
• Head coach Michelle Gardner picked up her 400th career win on Thursday. Gardner's impressive resume' includes head-coaching stints at Nevada and Indiana, in addition to BGSU.
SCHOOL RECORD (WE THINK)
• As mentioned, the Falcons' total of 10 stolen bases in Thursday's opener is believed to be a school record. And, since we're mentioning things we're definitely not 100% certain about ... the Falcons' 13 walks in that same game very well may be a school record, too. Stay tuned!
BONUS NOTE OF THE DAY
• BGSU's total of 17 runs in the opening game was the Falcons' highest in nearly seven years, since a school-record 21-run performance against St. Bonaventure on March 16, 2019.
• Thursday's performance is tied for the fourth-highest run total in program history. The list is below...
BGSU RECORD BOOK – MOST RUNS, SINGLE GAME
21Â Â 21-0 vs. St. Bonaventure (March 16, 2019)Â
19Â Â 19-3 at Defiance (April 27, 1981)Â Â Â Â Â
18Â Â 18-9 at Ohio Northern (April 8, 1981)Â Â Â
17Â Â 17-8 at Furman (Feb. 12, 2026)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
   17-0 vs. Wright State (May 9, 1990)   Â
   17-12 at Muskingum (April 14, 1979)   Â
16Â Â 16-1 vs. Canisius (Feb. 8, 2015)Â Â Â Â Â Â
   16-8 at Cleveland State (April 29, 1999) Â
   16-5 at Detroit (May 8, 1990)      Â
ALSO HIGHLY NOTEWORTHY
• Senior Ashley Chevalier entered Thursday's action with a career total of 12 runs batted in. She then proceeded to drive in no fewer than six runs in the first game vs. Furman.
• Her previous single-game best was three RBI in a game at Buffalo last season (March 14, 2025).
• The last player to drive in six runs in a game was Hannah Hunt, who did so against Monmouth last season (Feb. 8, 2025). Hunt's six-RBI game, like Chevalier's, came in the state of South Carolina, as the win over Monmouth came in Spartanburg, in a tournament hosted by USC Upstate.
ADDITIONAL STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Cameron Kaufman scored four runs in Thursday's opening game. That is the highest total by a Falcon since ... the aforementioned win over St. Bonaventure (March 16, 2019). Sarah Gonzalez scored four of BGSU's 21 runs in that victory.
• Prior to Thursday, the Falcons' most recent game had been an 11-9 win over Hampton last Friday (Feb. 6). BGSU posted double-digit run totals in back-to-back games for the first time in seven years, since the weekend of that 21-0 St. Bonaventure game. BGSU scored 10 runs vs. host Morehead State later that same day (10-4; March 16, 2019), then posted a 10-2 victory over the Bonnies the following day.
• The Falcons scored 11 or more runs in back-to-back games for just the fifth time in program history, and the first time in 34 years, since a doubleheader sweep at Florida A&M on March 24, 1992. BGSU won those games by scores of 11-0 and 11-1.
• Three players made their collegiate debuts on Thursday. Redshirt freshman Jilliyn Gardner and true freshman Sienna Hutchins each came off the bench to see action in the opener, while freshman Quinn Rives started game two. Hutchins saw action in the nightcap as well.
• The six through nine hitters in the BGSU batting order in the opening game (Kaufman, Chevalier, Mathews and Massaro) combined for eight runs scored, seven hits and 13 RBI.
BGSU-FURMAN GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took the lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. Addie Martin was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on a ground ball to the right side by Cameron Kaufman. Then, Ashley Chevalier doubled to score Martin with the game's first run.
• BG added another run when Kendall Mathews reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Hanna Massaro would follow with a single to plate Chevalier.
• The Paladins got a run back in the bottom of the inning against BG starter Mackenzie Krafcik, as Kristyn Embler led off with a double and scored on a Meghan Shirey single. But, BGSU would answer with a five-run third.
• The Falcons sent 11 hitters to the plate in that third frame, eventually chasing Furman starting pitcher Jamison Noonan. Taylor Behrendt led off with a walk, and one out later, Martin was hit by a pitch for the second time in as many plate appearances. Everyone was safe on Kaufman's sac bunt, with Behrendt scoring.
• A Chevalier sac fly plated Martin, and Mathews and Massaro each walked before Katie Hutter's single scored a pair of runs. Peyton Steffes walked as well, and a bases-loaded walk to Behrendt gave BG a 7-1 lead.
• But, the Paladins came right back. After a pair of singles, Kate Stoltzfus homered down the left-field line, and Sylvia Burroughs followed with a solo shot to make it a 7-5 game.
• Morgan Beckham entered the circle for the Falcons, and got a fly ball for the second out. But, after a single, Shirey doubled to score Katie Peeler and cut BG's lead to a single run.
• But, the Falcons responded immediately. Martin walked, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Then, Kaufman walked on four pitches and promptly stole second as well. That put two runners in scoring position for Chevalier, who singled up the middle to score them both.
• Beckham worked around a two-out error in the bottom of the inning, and BG added to the lead in the fifth. Hannah Hunt led off with a walk, and one out later, Kaufman deposited a pitch over the fence in left-center field to give the Falcons a five-run lead, 11-6. Beckham would retire the side on just seven total pitches in the bottom of the fifth.
• In the sixth, however, AB Cipalla led off with a single, and Rachel Hawkins homered to cut BG's advantage to three runs. The Paladins put runners on first and second with two outs, but Alyvia Roth entered the circle and needed just one pitch to get the third out, on a grounder to short.
• And, BGSU removed any doubt about the outcome with a six-run seventh. Hunt led off with a single, and pinch-runner Jilliyn Gardner – making her BGSU debut – stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Kaufman walked on four pitches, and stole second as well, before Chevalier came through once again with a two-run single.
• Then, Mathews followed with a two-run homer, and Massaro made it back-to-back with a solo shot. Hutter walked, Steffes singled and Behrendt reached on an error that allowed pinch-runner Sienna Hutchins (also making her collegiate debut) to score the game's final run.
• Roth worked around a two-out single to lock down the win for the Falcons.
• Beckham picked up the win in relief, while Roth earned her first career save.
• Chevalier went 3-for-4 with a double and six RBI, while Kaufman scored four runs and drove in three.
BGSU-FURMAN GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Paladins took an early lead with a two-run first frame. Eden Frederick led off with a triple, and after a walk and a stolen base, Sylvia Burroughs singled to score a pair of teammates.Â
• BG, however, responded immediately. Cameron Kaufman singled and stole second with one out in the second inning, and Kendall Mathews clubbed a two-out, two-run homer against Furman starting pitcher Kristyn Embler to tie the game.
• The hosts answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on three singles and a fielder's choice, not necessarily in that order. Kate Stoltzfus had the run-scoring single in that inning. With one out and the bases loaded after the Stoltzfus single, Alyvia Roth struck Burroughs out, then got Embler to hit a fly ball to end the inning.
• And, BGSU responded yet again, as Peyton Steffes led off the third inning with a single, took second on a Taylor Behrendt sac bunt and scored on Hannah Hunt's single.
• But, after a base hit and a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the third, Christina McCoy's three-run homer gave the Paladins a 6-3 lead. The Falcons threatened in the fourth on a Mathews double and walks to Katie Hutter and Behrendt, but with the bases loaded, Hunt's liner was caught by the first baseman to end the inning.
• In the home half of the fourth, back-to-back errors enabled Furman to score a pair of unearned runs despite allowing just one hit (an infield hit) in the frame. The Paladins led, 8-3.
• Back-to-back doubles produced a run for the hosts in the fifth, and Katie Peeler homered in the sixth.
• Addie Martin capped the scoring with a solo homer in the seventh.
• Kaufman led the Falcons with three hits, while Mathews had a pair of hits including a double and a homer.
• Embler earned the complete-game win for the hosts, allowing four runs and nine hits. At the plate, McCoy was 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBI for the Paladins.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons are slated to play two more games in the Purple & White Classic on Friday (Feb. 13). BGSU will meet Towson in a game scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., before taking on Lipscomb at 4:00 p.m.
• Then, on Saturday (Feb. 14), the Orange and Brown will conclude weekend action with a 10:00 a.m. rematch with Towson.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
Â
In the second game of the day, the Paladins bounced back to post a 10-4 win over the Falcons, snapping BG's three-game season-opening win streak.
In the opener, the Falcons put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in five of the seven innings. BGSU batters drew 13 walks, and once they reached base, the Falcons were a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen-base attempts. The stolen-base total is believed to be a school record.
Each of the nine starters in the Falcons' batting order reached base at least twice via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch.
Ashley Chevalier had six RBI in the opener, doubling her previous career best. Chevalier had three hits, including a double, while Cameron Kaufman, Hanna Massaro and Kendall Mathews all homered.
Kaufman scored four runs in the win, walking twice and driving in three, while Addie Martin scored three times and Chevalier, Massaro and Mathews two apiece. Kaufman and Martin each stole three bases.
Mathews homered in each end of the doubleheader, while Martin also went deep in the nightcap.
NOTE OF THE DAY
• Head coach Michelle Gardner picked up her 400th career win on Thursday. Gardner's impressive resume' includes head-coaching stints at Nevada and Indiana, in addition to BGSU.
SCHOOL RECORD (WE THINK)
• As mentioned, the Falcons' total of 10 stolen bases in Thursday's opener is believed to be a school record. And, since we're mentioning things we're definitely not 100% certain about ... the Falcons' 13 walks in that same game very well may be a school record, too. Stay tuned!
BONUS NOTE OF THE DAY
• BGSU's total of 17 runs in the opening game was the Falcons' highest in nearly seven years, since a school-record 21-run performance against St. Bonaventure on March 16, 2019.
• Thursday's performance is tied for the fourth-highest run total in program history. The list is below...
BGSU RECORD BOOK – MOST RUNS, SINGLE GAME
21Â Â 21-0 vs. St. Bonaventure (March 16, 2019)Â
19Â Â 19-3 at Defiance (April 27, 1981)Â Â Â Â Â
18Â Â 18-9 at Ohio Northern (April 8, 1981)Â Â Â
17Â Â 17-8 at Furman (Feb. 12, 2026)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
   17-0 vs. Wright State (May 9, 1990)   Â
   17-12 at Muskingum (April 14, 1979)   Â
16Â Â 16-1 vs. Canisius (Feb. 8, 2015)Â Â Â Â Â Â
   16-8 at Cleveland State (April 29, 1999) Â
   16-5 at Detroit (May 8, 1990)      Â
ALSO HIGHLY NOTEWORTHY
• Senior Ashley Chevalier entered Thursday's action with a career total of 12 runs batted in. She then proceeded to drive in no fewer than six runs in the first game vs. Furman.
• Her previous single-game best was three RBI in a game at Buffalo last season (March 14, 2025).
• The last player to drive in six runs in a game was Hannah Hunt, who did so against Monmouth last season (Feb. 8, 2025). Hunt's six-RBI game, like Chevalier's, came in the state of South Carolina, as the win over Monmouth came in Spartanburg, in a tournament hosted by USC Upstate.
ADDITIONAL STATS, NOTES & NUMBERS
• Cameron Kaufman scored four runs in Thursday's opening game. That is the highest total by a Falcon since ... the aforementioned win over St. Bonaventure (March 16, 2019). Sarah Gonzalez scored four of BGSU's 21 runs in that victory.
• Prior to Thursday, the Falcons' most recent game had been an 11-9 win over Hampton last Friday (Feb. 6). BGSU posted double-digit run totals in back-to-back games for the first time in seven years, since the weekend of that 21-0 St. Bonaventure game. BGSU scored 10 runs vs. host Morehead State later that same day (10-4; March 16, 2019), then posted a 10-2 victory over the Bonnies the following day.
• The Falcons scored 11 or more runs in back-to-back games for just the fifth time in program history, and the first time in 34 years, since a doubleheader sweep at Florida A&M on March 24, 1992. BGSU won those games by scores of 11-0 and 11-1.
• Three players made their collegiate debuts on Thursday. Redshirt freshman Jilliyn Gardner and true freshman Sienna Hutchins each came off the bench to see action in the opener, while freshman Quinn Rives started game two. Hutchins saw action in the nightcap as well.
• The six through nine hitters in the BGSU batting order in the opening game (Kaufman, Chevalier, Mathews and Massaro) combined for eight runs scored, seven hits and 13 RBI.
BGSU-FURMAN GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took the lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. Addie Martin was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on a ground ball to the right side by Cameron Kaufman. Then, Ashley Chevalier doubled to score Martin with the game's first run.
• BG added another run when Kendall Mathews reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Hanna Massaro would follow with a single to plate Chevalier.
• The Paladins got a run back in the bottom of the inning against BG starter Mackenzie Krafcik, as Kristyn Embler led off with a double and scored on a Meghan Shirey single. But, BGSU would answer with a five-run third.
• The Falcons sent 11 hitters to the plate in that third frame, eventually chasing Furman starting pitcher Jamison Noonan. Taylor Behrendt led off with a walk, and one out later, Martin was hit by a pitch for the second time in as many plate appearances. Everyone was safe on Kaufman's sac bunt, with Behrendt scoring.
• A Chevalier sac fly plated Martin, and Mathews and Massaro each walked before Katie Hutter's single scored a pair of runs. Peyton Steffes walked as well, and a bases-loaded walk to Behrendt gave BG a 7-1 lead.
• But, the Paladins came right back. After a pair of singles, Kate Stoltzfus homered down the left-field line, and Sylvia Burroughs followed with a solo shot to make it a 7-5 game.
• Morgan Beckham entered the circle for the Falcons, and got a fly ball for the second out. But, after a single, Shirey doubled to score Katie Peeler and cut BG's lead to a single run.
• But, the Falcons responded immediately. Martin walked, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Then, Kaufman walked on four pitches and promptly stole second as well. That put two runners in scoring position for Chevalier, who singled up the middle to score them both.
• Beckham worked around a two-out error in the bottom of the inning, and BG added to the lead in the fifth. Hannah Hunt led off with a walk, and one out later, Kaufman deposited a pitch over the fence in left-center field to give the Falcons a five-run lead, 11-6. Beckham would retire the side on just seven total pitches in the bottom of the fifth.
• In the sixth, however, AB Cipalla led off with a single, and Rachel Hawkins homered to cut BG's advantage to three runs. The Paladins put runners on first and second with two outs, but Alyvia Roth entered the circle and needed just one pitch to get the third out, on a grounder to short.
• And, BGSU removed any doubt about the outcome with a six-run seventh. Hunt led off with a single, and pinch-runner Jilliyn Gardner – making her BGSU debut – stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Kaufman walked on four pitches, and stole second as well, before Chevalier came through once again with a two-run single.
• Then, Mathews followed with a two-run homer, and Massaro made it back-to-back with a solo shot. Hutter walked, Steffes singled and Behrendt reached on an error that allowed pinch-runner Sienna Hutchins (also making her collegiate debut) to score the game's final run.
• Roth worked around a two-out single to lock down the win for the Falcons.
• Beckham picked up the win in relief, while Roth earned her first career save.
• Chevalier went 3-for-4 with a double and six RBI, while Kaufman scored four runs and drove in three.
BGSU-FURMAN GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Paladins took an early lead with a two-run first frame. Eden Frederick led off with a triple, and after a walk and a stolen base, Sylvia Burroughs singled to score a pair of teammates.Â
• BG, however, responded immediately. Cameron Kaufman singled and stole second with one out in the second inning, and Kendall Mathews clubbed a two-out, two-run homer against Furman starting pitcher Kristyn Embler to tie the game.
• The hosts answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on three singles and a fielder's choice, not necessarily in that order. Kate Stoltzfus had the run-scoring single in that inning. With one out and the bases loaded after the Stoltzfus single, Alyvia Roth struck Burroughs out, then got Embler to hit a fly ball to end the inning.
• And, BGSU responded yet again, as Peyton Steffes led off the third inning with a single, took second on a Taylor Behrendt sac bunt and scored on Hannah Hunt's single.
• But, after a base hit and a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the third, Christina McCoy's three-run homer gave the Paladins a 6-3 lead. The Falcons threatened in the fourth on a Mathews double and walks to Katie Hutter and Behrendt, but with the bases loaded, Hunt's liner was caught by the first baseman to end the inning.
• In the home half of the fourth, back-to-back errors enabled Furman to score a pair of unearned runs despite allowing just one hit (an infield hit) in the frame. The Paladins led, 8-3.
• Back-to-back doubles produced a run for the hosts in the fifth, and Katie Peeler homered in the sixth.
• Addie Martin capped the scoring with a solo homer in the seventh.
• Kaufman led the Falcons with three hits, while Mathews had a pair of hits including a double and a homer.
• Embler earned the complete-game win for the hosts, allowing four runs and nine hits. At the plate, McCoy was 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBI for the Paladins.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons are slated to play two more games in the Purple & White Classic on Friday (Feb. 13). BGSU will meet Towson in a game scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., before taking on Lipscomb at 4:00 p.m.
• Then, on Saturday (Feb. 14), the Orange and Brown will conclude weekend action with a 10:00 a.m. rematch with Towson.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Beckham, Morgan (1-0)
L: Noonan (0-2)
S: Roth, Alyvia (1)
Batting:
2B: Chevalier, Ashley 1
HR: Kaufman, Cameron 1 ; Mathews, Kendall 1 ; Massaro, Hanna 1
RBI: Hutter, Katie 2 ; Behrendt, Taylor 1 ; Kaufman, Cameron 3 ; Chevalier, Ashley 6 ; Mathews, Kendall 2 ; Massaro, Hanna 2
SH: Kaufman, Cameron 1 ; Mathews, Kendall 1
SF: Chevalier, Ashley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hutchins, Sienna 1 ; Behrendt, Taylor 1 ; Hunt, Hannah 1 ; Gardner, Jilliyn 1 ; Martin, Addie 3 ; Kaufman, Cameron 4 ; Chevalier, Ashley 2 ; Mathews, Kendall 2 ; Massaro, Hanna 2
SB: Gardner, Jilliyn 1 ; Martin, Addie 3 ; Kaufman, Cameron 3 ; Mathews, Kendall 2 ; Massaro, Hanna 1
HBP: Martin, Addie 2
Batting:
2B: Embler 1 ; Shirey 1
HR: Stoltzfus 1 ; Burroughs 1 ; Hawkins 1
RBI: Stoltzfus 3 ; Burroughs 1 ; Shirey 2 ; Hawkins 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Frederick 1 ; Stoltzfus 1 ; Burroughs 1 ; Embler 1 ; Peeler 1 ; Cipalla 1 ; Hawkins 1 ; McCoy 1
HBP: Frederick 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
6
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
MI
/ Softball
Util.
/ SoftballUtil.
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Util.
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
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