Panthers Put Together Late Rally, Fall to Iowa 6-3

Tuesday, April 12

Iowa City, Iowa

5:30 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

27-13

Iowa

10-26

UNI

Iowa

Panthers Put Together Late Rally, Fall to Iowa 6-3

4/12/2016 6:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Riley Ubben

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa softball team fell to Iowa in a non-conference battle on Tuesday afternoon, 6-3. The Panthers (27-13) battled back late after falling down by six, loading the bases in the top of the seventh inning before a flyout to deep left field ended the contest.

UNI was patient at the plate in the early going, earning three walks in the opening two frames. Kennedy Bailey tallied her walk number 31 of the year that tied her with Jen Larsen (2010) for number three on the UNI list for most walks in a season.

It was a pitchers' duel for the first three innings as both squads combined for three hits. After surrendering two hits in the first inning, Bailey Lange bounced back by holding the Hawkeyes hitless for the next two innings before being replaced in the circle by Chelsea Ross in the middle of the fourth inning.

Iowa capitalized on a few UNI mental and physical errors in the fourth as they plated six runs in the frame, two earned on four hits to take a 6-0 lead.

Ross led off the sixth inning with the Panthers' second hit of the day, a single that found space in shallow center field. Caitlin Wnek followed with a single of her own that was hit hard off the glove of the Iowa first basemen. With no outs and runners at the corners, pinch-running Samantha Nicholson stole home on a blunder by the Hawkeye defense as they made a throw down to second base in an attempt to throw out Wnek after a Lange walk for the first UNI run. Kennedy Bailey hit a two-RBI single with one down, scoring Wnek and Lange to cut the Iowa lead down to three, 6-3.

Micalla Rettinger singled with one down in the seventh inning for her second hit of the day before Ross and Lange followed with walks to load the bases with the Panthers down three. Courtney Krodinger made things interesting with two outs, sending one to the warning track in left field that was caught for the final out of the ballgame.

UNI will return to Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday when they take on Loyola at Robinson-Dresser Field in Cedar Falls. First pitch between the Panthers and Ramblers is scheduled for noon.