University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State
Panthers Slam Three Homers in 6-4 Win Over Iowa State
3/25/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 25, 2009
AMES, Iowa - The UNI softball team slammed three home runs and pounded out 12 hits in their 6-4 win over in-state rival Iowa State to improve to 20-8 overall on the season, while the Cyclones fall to 17-16 on the season. With the win, the Panthers matched their 2008 win total and improve to 3-4 against Big 12 Conference schools this season.
Junior Jen Larsen (10-4) earned the win and set a new career high for wins in season after pitching a complete game. Larsen allowed three earned runs in the game, 10 hits, struck out three batters and also hit a three-home run in the game. Rachel Zabriskie (10-11) took the loss for the Cyclones after pitching a complete game 12-hitter.
After two scoreless innings to the start game the Panthers scored the first two runs of the contest in the top of the third inning after senior catcher Kelly Papesh's two-run home run to center field.
Senior third basemen Brittney Balduf singled to shortstop to lead off the inning for the Panthers before the Papesh homer.
Papesh leads the Missouri Valley Conference with eight home runs on the season. She has been on a tear at the plate since the calendar flipped to the month of March, and has launched six homers in 13 Panther games. Papesh finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate.
The Cyclones responded with a run in the bottom of the third inning to trim the Panther lead, 2-1. The run by Cyclones was unearned after a Panther throwing error allowed the runner to score.
The Panther bats came to life in the top of the fifth inning to pound out six hits, two home runs and score four runs to extend the Panther lead, 6-1. The Panthers lead the MVC with 26 home runs and have hit at least one home run in 17 of 28 games this year.
The Panthers hit back-to back homers after Larsen blasted a three-run home run to right field, and junior Rachel Gerking followed with a home run to center field. The home run was Larsen's fourth of the season and her first home run since Feb. 21. The home run was also the fourth of the year for Gerking. Gerking leads the MVC with 25 RBI on the season.
The Cyclones added a home run of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning after Sydni Jones homered to right field. Jones leads the Cyclones with four home runs this season. Iowa State added another run in the inning after Heidi Kidwell's RBI single cut the Panther lead, 6-3.
The Cyclones added another run in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to mount a comeback.
The Panthers, second place in the MVC (5-1), will host a three-game series against MVC leading Creighton (6-0 MVC) this weekend (March 28-29). The first pitch in the series is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Notes: The UNI softball team received two votes in yesterday's ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll. The Panthers have never received votes before since the poll initially started in 2003...Senior Jen Larsen hit her 20th career home run and fourth of the season... Larsen set a new career high for wins in a season (10). Larsen's previous season high for wins came during her freshman year when she finished 9-15...Junior Rachel Gerking drove in her MVC leading 25th run in the game...The Panthers hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season...The Panthers lead the Valley with 26 team home runs and have hit at least one home run in 17 of 28 games played...Four different players had multi-hit games...The Panthers are 10-4 in the month of March this year compared to their 5-15 record in the month of March last season...The all-time series between the two schools is now tied at 35-35-1 with the Panthers winning the last two games....UNI head coach Ryan Jacobs is 2-1 all-time against the Cyclones.
