Walk-Off Single in Extras Completes Sweep of Loyola, 6-5

Sunday, April 17

Cedar Falls, Iowa

12 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

30-13, 0

Loyola

18-18, 0

Loyola

UNI

Walk-Off Single in Extras Completes Sweep of Loyola, 6-5

4/17/2016 4:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Riley Ubben

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa softball team needed 13 innings to complete the sweep of Loyola, prevailing on a Bailey Lange walk-off single in the bottom of the inning to take the contest 6-5. The contest marked the longest game for UNI since a loss to Bradley in 1990.

Brittney Krodinger opened the scoring for UNI (30-13, 9-5 MVC) in the second inning, plating three runs on a RBI double with two outs and two strikes to put the Panthers ahead 3-0.

Loyola answered with two runs in the following inning as Jamie O'Brien sent a double to left center field.

Kennedy Bailey hit her fourth homerun of the weekend in the fourth, sending a leadoff shot to center field to extend the UNI lead to two, 4-2. In the eighth inning, Bailey walked for the 34^th time this season, tying Courtney Dunker (2011) for the second-most walks in a season by a UNI player.

The game looked to be in UNI's control heading into the final innings before LUC's Kiley Jones hit a two-run homerun in the top of the seventh to send the contest to extra innings. O'Brien recorded her third RBI of the day in the top of the ninth to give Loyola a 5-4 advantage.

After loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, Caitlin Wnek fought off multiple pitches to stay alive at the plate before walking home a run to further extend the game. UNI would go on to have a run negated at the plate on a fielder's choice before two more outs left the bases loaded.

UNI was put in a similar place defensively in the 11^th as Alyssa Buchanan fielded one in the circle and made the throw home to prevent the Ramblers from retaking the lead.

Micalla Rettinger led off the 13^th with a single followed by back-to-back walks from Chelsea Ross and Wnek to set the table for the would be walk-off single from Lange to complete the 6-5 win.

The Panthers will continue MVC play during the week when they host Drake for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.