University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
16-13, 4-3
Evansville
12-17, 4-3
UNI Softball Takes Two From Evansville
4/1/2017 4:39:00 PM | Softball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa softball team took full advantage of its home field on Saturday by posting a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Evansville Purple Aces. UNI took game one in six innings, 12-4. The Panthers completed the day with five-inning no-hitter of the Purple Aces, 9-0.
UNI improves to 17-13 overall and 5-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action. Evansville drops to 12-18 overall and 4-4 in league play. UNI's offense scored at least one run in every inning it had an at-bat in the two victories.
GAME ONE
The Panther offense batted around in the opening inning by sending 10 players to the plate en route to scoring four runs. Despite having its first two hitters of the game retired, UNI's next seven batters reached base with the big blow coming from the bat of Sammey Burch. Burch capped the scoring surge with a two-run double that plated Anna Varriano and Jaci Spencer.
Evansville slugged a pair of home runs in the second inning to pull within 4-3. However, Spencer then silenced the Purple Aces by retiring 12 consecutive batters from the second through the fifth innings. Spencer went the distance for the Panthers in the circle and struck out 12 batters while allowing only three hits (all home runs). Spencer moved to 6-5 on the year.
While Spencer was mowing down the Purple Aces, the Panther bats were very active - including Spencer. The Waterloo native went 3-for-4 at the plate as she laced three singles in the first, second and fourth innings. Varriano connected on a two-run home run in the second to give UNI a 7-3 lead.
Sammey Bunch closed out the 12-4 win with a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth.
GAME TWO
Alyssa Buchanan tossed a five-inning no-hitter as the Panthers scored a 9-0 win over the Purple Aces in the second contest. Buchanan fanned 10 Purple Aces and allowed only three base runners in the win. Buchanan moved her season mark to 7-1 and lowered her team-leading ERA to 1.86.
UNI scored in the bottom of the first on a double-steal that had Brittney Krodinger score from third while Ashley Chesser kept the Purple Aces busy between first and second.
Bunch tallied a three-hit game and it began with an RBI-double in the second as she plated Varriano from second. Bunch added a single and stolen base in the third inning and capped her day with a three-run triple in the fourth.
Varriano enjoyed a solid performance as she went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and her second two-run home run of the day in the third.
The Panthers and Purple Aces will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Spencer, Jaclyn (6-5)
L: Lockhart, E. (2-7)
Batting:
HR: Hay, B. 1 ; Scott, H. 1 ; Lambert, M. 1
RBI: Hay, B. 1 ; Scott, H. 1 ; Lambert, M. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hay, B. 1 ; Scott, H. 1 ; Parr, C. 1 ; Lambert, M. 1
Batting:
2B: Bunch, Sammey 2
HR: Varriano, Anna 1 ; Bunch, Sammey 1
RBI: Wolfe, Macey 1 ; Chesser, Ashley 1 ; Varriano, Anna 1 ; Spencer, Jaclyn 1 ; Bunch, Sammey 5 ; Drahn, Tianna 1
SH: Krodinger, Brittney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Krodinger, Brittney 1 ; Roby, Brittney 1 ; Wolfe, Macey 1 ; Chesser, Ashley 2 ; Varriano, Anna 2 ; Spencer, Jaclyn 2 ; Brooks, Olivia 1 ; Bunch, Sammey 1 ; Drahn, Tianna 1
SB: Krodinger, Brittney 1 ; Brooks, Olivia 1
CS: Roby, Brittney 1
HBP: Bailey, Kennedy 1 ; Drahn, Tianna 1
