Panthers Take Two in Doubleheader with Drake

Tuesday, April 19

Cedar Falls, Iowa

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

21-13, 0

Drake

24-17, 0

Drake

UNI

Panthers Take Two in Doubleheader with Drake

4/19/2016 8:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Riley Ubben

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa softball team took both games in their doubleheader against Missouri Valley Conference front-runner Drake on Tuesday, racking up 15 runs over two games while allowing just one. The Panthers (32-13, 11-5 MVC) hit two home runs in game one to propel them to a 7-1 victory while freshman Bailey Lange tossed a one-hitter as UNI took game two in five innings, 8-0.

In the second inning of game one, Kennedy Bailey broke the UNI record for most walks in a season as she recorded her 36^th, surpassing Lindsay Wood who set the record during the 2002 season.

Lange helped herself out in the circle later in the inning with a three-run home run to RF, her fifth of the season, putting UNI ahead 3-0.

Drake answered in the third inning with their only run of the evening as Kennedy Frank crossed the plate on a UNI miscue.

Alyssa Buchanan extended the Panther lead to five in the fifth with a two run shot to left field, scoring a pinch-running Kate Kinnetz in the process. UNI would tack on two more in the inning, capitalizing on a Drake error to bring the final score to 7-1.

Runs came early and often for UNI in game two, beginning with a Lange run on a Chelsea Ross at-bat. One batter later, Caitlin Wnek grabbed her sixth sacrifice fly of the season as she drove in Micalla Rettinger on a ball sent deep to left field. The sacrifice fly moved Wnek past Melissa Navntoft (1999) and put her atop the list for most by a UNI player in a single season.

Bailey added to the UNI lead later in the inning with her fifth homerun in as many games, hitting a two-run blast to left-center field. Courtney Krodinger followed with her second career long ball the next at-bat to put the Panthers up 5-0.

Ross' team-leading ninth homer of the season in the second inning scored Rettinger to extend the lead to seven.

Samantha Olson added the final run of the ballgame in the third, driving in Courtney Krodinger on a RBI single to bring the final score to 8-0.

The Panthers will remain at home over the weekend for a three-game series against Missouri State. The series will being on Saturday at noon with a doubleheader.