Panthers Split Final Games of Citrus Blossom Invitational

Sunday, February 18

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

9:00 a.m.

University of Northern Iowa

9-1

Stetson

2-7

UNI

Stetson

Panthers Split Final Games of Citrus Blossom Invitational

2/18/2018 2:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 uni-softball-boxscore--10 uni-softball-boxscore--11

ORLANDO, Florida – The Panthers finished off their weekend in Orlando at the Citrus Blossom Invitational with a win over Stetson, 4-1, before losing to Bethune-Cookman, 5-9.

The Panthers' loss against Bethune-Cookman was their second on the season, with both losses coming a week apart from each other.

Northern Iowa vs. Stetson | Final Score – W, 4-1

Brook Craig started the first game of the Sunday doubleheader for the Panthers, going five and a third innings while walking two batters and giving up five hits. Craig was able to set career and season-highs in both wins (3) and strikeouts (7) against the Hatters. Freshman Emma Olejniczak came on in relief of Craig in the sixth inning, pitching one and two-thirds innings while striking out three batters. Olejniczak notched her first career save against Stetson.

The Panthers scored two runs in the second inning, on a Sammey Bunch single to right field which brought Jenny Kohl home, and Bunch caught-stealing that allowed Roby to race home before Bunch was tagged out.

A Courtney Krodinger single to shortstop in the third inning drove in Jaclyn Spencer. In the top of the seventh inning, the Panthers tacked on an insurance run off the bat of Emma Valainis, who registered her first-career hit and RBI in the at-bat.

Northern Iowa vs. Bethune-Cookman | Final Score – L, 5-9

Spencer struggled against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Sunday, giving up nine hits and six runs (two earned), en route to her first loss of the season. Spencer had won her first four starts to begin the season, before losing to the Wildcats. The Panthers defense struggled behind their pitchers in the game, allowing four batters to reach on errors. Courtney Krodinger also pitched in the game, going two innings and serving up two runs while striking out one Wildcat.

UNI scored first in the game, on a Bunch home run over the left-field wall. The game turned into a back-and-forth effort after that, with both teams giving up and retaking leads. Kohl drilled a triple to right to drive in Claire Dudek, then came home to score on a C. Krodinger sac-fly to right field. A Dudek single to right field gave the Panthers a two-run lead in the bottom of the third, which would be the last runs UNI would score until the bottom of the seventh.

Bethune-Cookman relied heavily on bunts, bloop singles, and errors as they pushed the lead to five heading into the final inning of the game. UNI would attempt a rally, loading the bases with two outs and down by four runs, before a Kohl groundout to shortstop promptly ended the game.

UNI's loss was its second on the season, both coming on Sundays and in the final game of each respective tournament.

UP NEXT –

UNI will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take part in the Easton Bama Bash from Feb. 23-25. The Panthers will play five games in the tournament, against Florida State (2), Georgia State (2) and Alabama.

SOCIAL MEDIA –

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