University of Northern Iowa
30-18, 18-6
Illinois State
30-18, 20-4
UNI Takes Doubleheader, Looks For Conference Title
5/6/2017 5:23:00 PM | Softball
NORMAL, Ill. – The University of Northern Iowa will play for the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title on Sunday after sweeping two games Saturday over league-leading Illinois State.
Illinois State came into the three-game series riding a 14-game MVC winning streak before the Panthers scored two wins on Saturday. UNI will be looking for a share of the conference regular season for the third time in school history. UNI also won MVC regular season titles in 2000 and 2012.
The Panthers (31-18 overall, 19-6 MVC) posted an 11-1 win in the opener and closed out the day with an 8-2 triumph over the Redbirds (30-19, 20-5 MVC).
UNI and Illinois State will meet on Sunday at 11 a.m. for the regular season finale. Illinois State has clinched a share of the MVC regular season title and can clinch the title outright with a victory. UNI can capture a share of the crown and the No. 1 seed for the MVC Tournament with a win. The MVC Tournament will take place May 11-13 in Normal.
GAME ONE
UNI's Kennedy Bailey powered the Panthers to the 11-1 win as she went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI.
The Panthers and Redbirds battled through four scoreless innings before the Panthers erupted for a seven-run fifth inning that was capped by a grand slam from Bailey.
UNI added four more insurance runs in the top of the seventh that included a three-run homer from Bailey. Bailey entered the game with no home runs and seven RBI on the season.
The top eight batters in the Panther lineup scored at least one run in the victory.
Jaclyn Spencer went the distance in the circle for the Panthers as she scattered seven hits and five walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Spencer and Panther defense forced the Redbirds into leaving 10 runners on base in the UNI win. Spencer moved to 13-7 on the year.
GAME TWO
UNI overcame an early 1-0 deficit and scored an 8-2 win over Illinois State in the nightcap.
Illinois State's Jordan de los Reyes launched her league-leading 19th home run of the season in the first to give the Redbirds their first lead of the day.
But the Panthers wasted little time in retaking the lead in the second. Ashley Chesser knotted the game at one as she delivered an RBI double that plated Alicia Crivaro.
Freshman Sammey Bunch gave UNI a 3-1 lead when she launched a two-run home run to right center. For Bunch it was the seventh home run she has hit this season. Chesser provided the next Panther run with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Brittney Roby and pushed the UNI lead to 4-1 in the third.
Alyssa Buchanan helped her own cause when she launched a solo homer to left in the fourth, which gave UNI a 5-1 lead. It was Buchanan's third home run on the season.
The Redbirds scored a single run in the sixth on an RBI double from Allison Spence to cut the Panther lead to 5-2.
UNI extended the margin to 8-2 in the seventh when Macey Wolfe connected on a three-run home run to left field. It was Wolfe's fifth home run of the season.
Buchanan pitched a complete game and improved to 13-2 on the season. Buchanan scattered four hits and struck out three Redbirds in the win.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Spencer, Jaclyn (13-7)
L: Finck, S. (21-9)
Batting:
2B: Spencer, Jaclyn 1 ; Bunch, Sammey 1
HR: Bailey, Kennedy 2
RBI: Krodinger, Brittney 1 ; Roby, Brittney 1 ; Bailey, Kennedy 7 ; Spencer, Jaclyn 1 ; Krodinger, Courtney 1
SH: Wolfe, Macey 1
SF: Krodinger, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Krodinger, Brittney 1 ; Roby, Brittney 2 ; Wolfe, Macey 2 ; Bailey, Kennedy 2 ; Varriano, Anna 1 ; Spencer, Jaclyn 1 ; Bunch, Sammey 1 ; Lange, Bailey 1
Batting:
2B: Hale, R. 1
HR: Caliva, A. 1
RBI: Caliva, A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Caliva, A. 1
