BGSU Club Softball opened the 2026–27 season this weekend with a three-game series against Purdue Club Softball, giving the team its first opportunity to compete with a new roster and six new players:
Amanda Peklay,
Sophia Gruetter,
Ava Basel,
Zoe Ziems,
Kindal Ellison, and
Cassidy Tolin. The series also provided an early test for BGSU against one of the top teams in the country, as Purdue entered the season ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll after finishing second at the 2026 NCSA national championships.
BGSU opened the series with a hard-fought 2–2 tie in game 1.
Lauren Shaver put BGSU on the board with an RBI single in the first inning, while
Kylie Gibson delivered the game-tying RBI double in the sixth. Shaver and
Rachel Ebert each collected two hits, while Gibson added a double and an RBI. In the circle,
Ava Basel made an impressive season debut, pitching all seven innings and allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out eight and walking three.
In Game 2, BGSU fell to Purdue 6–2, but the game featured another strong pitching performance from one of the team's newcomers.
Zoe Ziems made her BGSU debut in the circle, entering in relief and throwing 3? scoreless innings. Ziems allowed just one hit, struck out one, and did not issue a walk. At the plate,
Mariela Garcia,
Kylie Gibson, and
Lauren Shaver each collected a hit, with Gibson and Shaver driving in BGSU's two runs.
BGSU closed out the weekend with an offensive explosion in Game 3, collecting 13 hits to Purdue's nine despite ultimately falling 8–3.
Amanda Peklay,
Kylie Gibson,
Rachel Ebert, and
Kailee Pasenow each recorded two hits. Gibson drove in two runs, including a triple in the first inning that put BGSU on the board.
Rachel Ebert later delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning to give BGSU a 3–2 lead. Despite Purdue responding later in the game, BGSU's offense continued to produce, and the team finished the game with 13 hits while committing zero errors defensively.
Across the three games, BGSU collected 24 hits, with several returning players and newcomers making an immediate impact.
Rachel Ebert led the team with six hits, while
Kylie Gibson,
Lauren Shaver, and
Kailee Pasenow each finished the series with four hits. Gibson led the team with four RBIs, including two in the series finale.
Amanda Peklay finished with three hits, including two hits in Game 3, making an immediate impact in her first series with BGSU.
The pitching staff also showed several promising performances throughout the weekend. Basel led the team with eight strikeouts in the series, highlighted by her complete-game performance in the opener. She finished with 8.0 innings pitched, six hits allowed, five earned runs, six walks, and eight strikeouts across her two appearances. Ziems provided one of the weekend's standout pitching performances with her 3? scoreless innings in Game 2, allowing just one hit and no walks. As a staff, BGSU recorded 13 strikeouts across the three games.
While the series finished with a 0–2–1 record, the weekend marked an important first step for a BGSU team beginning the season with a new group of players and a new roster dynamic. Facing a Purdue team ranked fourth in the preseason and coming off a second-place finish at the national championships gave BGSU an opportunity to compete against a highly regarded opponent while giving the team's returning players and six newcomers their first experience together in game action. Rachel, president of BGSU Club Softball, shares her excitement after the team's first outing, stating, "I am so proud of how this team played in our first series of the season, and of everyone for the hard work and preparation we have put in leading up to this weekend. Our new girls have already added a whole new dimension to this team, bringing great pitching, slapping, hitting, defense, and, most importantly, amazing personalities and energy. It was so exciting to see all of our preparation come together on the field, and I cannot wait for the rest of the season and everything this team is going to accomplish together!"
Despite not winning, BGSU showed plenty of positives to build on as the 2026–27 season continues. The Purdue series served as the first chapter for this new group, providing valuable experience and setting the stage for the rest of the season.
Your Falcons take the field again in a three-game home series against Youngstown Sunday, September 27th at Bowling Green High School.
