Four-Run Seventh Caps Walk-Off Win, Friday Sweep for Falcons

Friday, February 13

Greenville, S.C.

1:30 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

4-1

Towson

2-4

Towson

Bowling Green

Hannah Simko | Oct. 8, 2025, at Michigan

Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

February 13, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BGSU tops Towson & Lipscomb at Purple & White Classic

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Bowling Green State University softball team scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning, posting a walk-off win over Lipscomb University and completing a Friday (Feb. 13) sweep in the Purple & White Classic.

The 9-8 win against Lipscomb came after the Falcons had posted a 7-2 victory over Towson University earlier in the day. Both games in the tournament, hosted by Furman, took place at Pepsi Stadium.

With the wins, the Falcons improve to 5-1 on the young season, BGSU's best start in four years.

In the opener, the Falcons broke on top with a three-run first inning and never relinquished the lead. Senior Mackenzie Krafcik scattered four hits in a complete-game victory, and both Towson runs were unearned.

BG banged out 10 hits and stole five bases vs. the Tigers (2-4). Peyton Steffes went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, while Hannah Simko also was 2-for-3, with a walk and two steals. Hanna Massaro and Taylor Behrendt each had a pair of hits as well, with Behrendt scoring twice and driving in a pair of teammates.

The nightcap saw the Orange and Brown was a back-and-forth affair. After two-and-a-half scoreless frames, the teams combined to score at least one run in eight of the remaining nine half-innings.

BGSU took a 4-1 lead after four innings, and still led by three before Lipscomb (3-4) put five runs on the board in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead. The Bisons scored another run in the seventh before the Falcons rallied with four runs in the bottom of the frame, capped by Katie Hutter's walk-off sacrifice fly that scored Ashley Chevalier.

NOTE OF THE DAY
• As mentioned, the Falcons are 5-1 on the young season, which is BGSU's best start in four years. The 2022 team started at 5-1 en route to a 34-21 record and an appearance in the National Invitational Softball Classic.
• It is also tied for the third-best start in program history. The 2006 and 2018 teams each began the season at 6-0, while the '22 team was the only previous club to start the year with a 5-1 record.

BGSU-TOWSON – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Hannah Simko drew a four-pitch walk against Towson starting pitcher Olivia Trombley, and one out later, Hannah Hunt singled. With two down and runners on second and third, Cameron Kaufman reached on an error that allowed Taylor Behrendt to score, and Peyton Steffes followed with a two-run single.
• The Tigers threatened in the second, loading the bases on a hit batter, an infield single and a walk, but Mackenzie Krafcik struck out Kinsley Peek to end the inning.
• BG added to the lead in the third. Behrendt led off with a double to left-center, and scored when Kaufman hit a two-out double, also to left-center.
• The Tigers got on the board in the fifth, scoring a pair of unearned runs. After back-to-back BG errors began the inning, Taylor Broadbent followed with an RBI single, and a groundout allowed a second run to cross the plate.
• Krafcik worked around a two-out infield error in the sixth, getting the next hitter to pop up to Hunt at second.
• In the bottom of the inning, Steffes led off with a base hit and the Tigers went to the pen. Steffes stole second, before reliever Mikaela Guy retired the next two Falcons. But, Hanna Massaro's two-out double scored Steffes to give BG a three-run lead.
• Then, Simko singled and stole second, and Behrendt's single up the middle scored both runners to make it a 7-2 game. Krafcik set down the Tigers in order in the top of the seventh.
• Krafcik threw 66 of her 98 total pitches for strikes in the complete-game win. She walked two hitters and struck out four, and both runs she allowed were unearned. After giving up a leadoff single in the third inning, Krafcik surrendered just one more hit the rest of the way.

BGSU-LIPSCOMB – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons' second game of the day saw starting pitcher Madison Wendel work around an error in each of the first two innings before emerging unscathed.
• In the third, the Bisons got back-to-back singles by Chapel Cunningham and Briley Burns, and Brenna Sherman's groundout moved the runners to second and third. But, Wendel proceeded to get Presley Rader to swing and miss at a 2-2 pitch before inducing Elizabeth Martin to ground out.
• BG took the lead in the home half of the third. Ava McKee drew a leadoff walk against LU starter Brooke Beam, and Hanna Massaro's single moved pinch-runner Delaney Davis to second. Katie Hutter drew a one-out walk to load the bases, and Davis scored the game's first run on a Taylor Behrendt ground ball.
• The Bisons answered in the top of the fourth, as Mallory Ogle led off with a double and scored on Josephine Heuberger's one-out single to tie the game.
• BGSU quickly retook the lead. Cameron Kaufman walked on four pitches, and an error on a Peyton Steffes bunt put runners at the corners. After Steffes stole second, Addie Martin's bunt single scored Kaufman. Then, McKee's squeeze bunt scored Steffes, with Martin taking third. And, with two outs, Hannah Simko reached on a throwing error that allowed Martin to score.
• Lipscomb got a run back in the fifth, as Rader doubled with one out and scored on a two-out throwing error.
• The BG fifth saw Hannah Hunt lead off with a single, and after a fielder's choice put Kaufman on base, Martin came through with a two-out RBI double to give BG a 5-2 lead.
• In the sixth, however, the Bisons rallied back. An error was followed by doubles from Cunningham and Burns, plating a run and leaving a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. And, Sherman's two-base hit tied the game at 5-5.
• Alyvia Roth entered the game, and Rader singled and took second on the throw home, as the Falcons held pinch-runner Elle Smith at third. Roth threw a third strike past MK Hickey for the second out, but Mallory Ogle came through with a two-run single to give the Bisons a 7-5 lead.
• Lipscomb scored what seemed to be an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Cunningham walked with one out, and Burns singled up the middle before Sherman laced a single to center that scored a run.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Beam retired the leadoff hitter, but Kaufman singled and Steffes walked. Everyone was safe on Martin's grounder to third, with the fielder's choice loading the bases. Pinch-hitter Ashley Chevalier singled to score Kaufman and move the Falcons within two runs.
• Massaro reached base on an error, with Steffes scoring on the play. Then, Simko drew a walk, and Martin trotted home with the tying run. Four pitches later, Hutter's fly ball to center allowed Chevalier to tag and score, and the Falcons had the improbable, come-from-behind win.
• Martin went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI in the win, while Kaufman scored three runs and Steffes two.
• Roth picked up the win in relief to move to 2-1 on the young season.
• Cunningham had a tremendous game at the plate for the BIsons, going 3-for-3 with two walks, a double and two runs scored. Burns was 2-for-5, while Sherman had two hits and three RBI.

UP NEXT
• BGSU will close out the Purple & White Classic on Saturday (Feb. 14), facing Towson in the first game of the day. That contest is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. at Pepsi Stadium.

PURPLE & WHITE CLASSIC
Thursday, Feb. 12
Bowling Green 17, at Furman 8
at Furman, 10, Bowling Green 4

Friday, Feb. 13
Lipscomb 11, Towson 4
Bowling Green 7, Towson 2
Bowling Green 9, Lipscomb 8

Saturday, Feb. 14
Bowling Green vs. Towson, 10:00 a.m.
Towson vs. Lipscomb, 12:30 p.m.
Lipscomb at Furman, 3:00 p.m.

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.