Falcons Walk It Off in MAC-Opening Win vs. CMU

Saturday, March 14

Bowling Green, Ohio

1 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

13-8, 1-0

Central Michigan

9-11, 0-1

Central Michigan

Bowling Green

Peyton Steffes (7) drove in the only run as the Falcons won the opener in walk-off fashion

Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics

March 14, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Chippewas capture game two for Saturday split at Meserve Field

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Jilliyn Gardner tagged and scored from third base on a Peyton Steffes fly ball in the seventh inning, giving the Bowling Green State University softball team a 1-0, walk-off win over Central Michigan University Saturday afternoon (March 14). The game, the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams, was held at Meserve Field.

The Chippewas rallied for a 7-4 win over the Falcons in the day's second game, for a split of the conference doubleheader.

Mackenzie Krafcik pitched a gem for the Falcons (13-9, 1-1 MAC) in the opener. The senior fired a three-hit shutout, facing just four batters over the minimum. Krafcik threw 62 of her 96 pitches for strikes.

For her part, CMU starter Mackenzie Langan allowed only two hits in her own complete-game effort, and the only run she surrendered was unearned.

Steffes, who had one of BGSU's two hits in the opener, went 2-for-2 with a walk and two more RBI in the nightcap. And, BG starter Madison Wendel allowed just three earned runs in seven innings of work. But, the Chippewas (10-11, 1-1 MAC) took advantage of two Falcon errors to score three first-inning runs, and the visitors had four unearned runs in the game.

📹HIGHLIGHTS!📹

BGSU picked up a 1-0 win in today's opener!#AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/K5YUMONVmB
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) March 14, 2026

NOTE OF THE DAY
• Mackenzie Krafcik, as mentioned, had a three-hit shutout for the Falcons in Saturday's first game. She has gone the full seven innings in each of her last three starts, allowing just one run – which was unearned – in those 21 innings of work.
• Krafcik, who entered the season with a career total of one complete-game shutout, now has three this season, including two in as many starts.

BGSU-CMU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The two Mackenzies in the circle – BGSU's Krafik and CMU's Langan – matched each other inning for inning, putting zeroes on the scoreboard until the game's final pitch.
• Krafcik needed just five pitches to get through the first inning, while Langan threw 28 pitches in the opening frame. But, while the latter went to a full count on the first three batters she faced, Langan allowed only a one-out walk to Katie Hutter before retiring the side.
• In the second inning, the Chippewas got a pair of walks to put two runners aboard with one out. Krafcik got Tori Briggs to hit a liner to Peyton Steffes in right field for the second out. The next batter, Cierra Laska, hit a ball up the middle that was misplayed to allow Rachel Cairo to advance from first to second ahead of the throw. But, shortstop Cameron Kaufman fired the ball to catcher Ashley Chevalier, who applied the tag on London Williams attempting to score.
• Neither team had another baserunner until Steffes singled with one down in the Falcon third. But, Langan struck out the next batter, then got a popup to end the inning.
• In the fourth, Steffes caught a scorching line drive by Williams for the second out, before Grace Koenig singled to left. But, Koenig was cut down attempting to stretch the hit into a double, ending the inning.
• Briggs singled with one out in the fifth, while Jenna Kuzara had a two-out hit in the sixth, but neither runner advanced past first base.
• Meanwhile, junior Taylor Behrendt lined a ball to the left side, that glanced off of lunging third baseman Koenig and continued down the line in foul territory for a leadoff double. She advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded there as Langan got a strikeout and a pair of ground balls to the left side of the infield.
• In the BGSU sixth, Katie Hutter drew a one-out walk, and Behrendt reached on an error, as the CMU second baseman and right fielder collided while attempting to field her fly ball to shallow right-center. But, a popup to short and a strikeout ended the inning.
• In the seventh, Krafcik retired the side in order on three ground balls, before Chevalier was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the inning. Hannah Hunt laid down a bunt, with first baseman Williams fielding the ball. Williams had no play on pinch-runner Jilliyn Gardner at second, but had to hold the ball while waiting for second baseman Angela Petrovitch to cover the first-base bag. When Williams threw the ball, it was off-line and sailed into shallow right field, allowing Gardner to advance to third.
• Pinch-runner Kendall Mathews stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but Langan responded by getting a strikeout for the first out of the inning.
• Steffes was the next batter, and hit a fly ball to left. Kuzara caught the ball and came up throwing, but Gardner tagged from third and slid home just ahead of the tag attempt by catcher Alexa Carter, giving the Falcons the walk-off win.
• The game featured a total of only five hits, with Behrendt picking up the lone extra-base hit. Hutter walked twice in three plate appearances for the Falcons.

BGSU-CMU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• After being blanked in the opener, the Chippewas struck quickly in the nightcap, with three runs – all unearned – in the first inning. An infield error began the game, and a single by Emma Lotus put two runners on with no outs. Falcon starter Madison Wendel, a transfer from CMU, got a ground ball that resulted in a force at second, but another error allowed a run to score.
• With runners at the corners, London Williams was caught in a rundown and tagged out attempting to second second, but CMU's second run of the game scored on the play. Then, Grace Koenig doubled and Tori Briggs singled to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.
• The Falcons took little time to cut into that lead against CMU starter Brooklyn Compau. Hannah Simko led off with a single, and came all the way around to score on Taylor Behrendt's one-out double to right-center. One out later, Behrendt scored on a triple into the gap in right-center by Cameron Kaufman.
• Peyton Steffes drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the second, and stole second, but Simko was robbed by shortstop Rachel Cairo, who caught her liner with a headlong dive to her right.
• Central added to the lead in the third, as Jenna Kuzara singled with one out, stole second and scored on Koenig's double.
• And, CMU scored another run in the fourth, on a Cierra Laska single and a BG error which allowed her to come all the way around to score after the errant throw sailed into foul territory down the right-field line. CMU had a 5-2 lead.
• In the Falcon fourth, Hannah Hunt walked with one out, and a Steffes flare to left was out of reach of leaping shortstop Cairo for a two-out single. Simko fouled off three-straight Compau pitches before hitting a fly ball to left-center. Left fielder Kuzara, who was shading SImko toward the left-field line, made a long run and, after bobbling the ball, eventually made the catch for the third out.
• CMU threatened on a Williams double and Koenig's infield single in the fifth, but Wendel got Briggs to hit a foul pop to Behrendt near first base, then induced Cairo to hit a soft liner directly to Simko in left.
• BGSU got a pair of runs back in the sixth. Kaufman reached on an error, and pinch-hitter Ashley Chevalier was hit by a pitch. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners with one out, and Compau got a strikeout for the second out. But, pinch-runner Delaney Davis stole second to put two runners in scoring position, and Steffes drilled a pitch to left-center for a double that scored both runners to cut the CMU advantage to 5-4.
• But, after Lotus singled to begin the seventh, Kuzara followed with a two-run homer to extend the lead back out to three. Laska retired the Falcons in order in the bottom of the inning to pick up the save.
• Compau earned the win, allowing four runs in six innings of work. She allowed five hits, walking three and striking out seven.
• At the plate, Koenig was 3-for-4, while Kuzara had two hits and scored three runs.
• For the Falcons, Steffes was 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and two RBI. In the circle, Wendel allowed just three earned runs in seven innings against her former team, striking out two without walking a batter.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Chippewas wrap up the weekend series with a single game on Sunday (March 15), beginning at noon.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will prepare for a three-game series at Western Michigan next weekend, as BG will meet the Broncos in a Friday (March 20) single game and a Saturday (March 21) doubleheader in Kalamazoo.

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.