UNI softball clinches MVC regular season title on Senior Day

Sunday, May 1

Cedar Falls, Iowa

12 PM

University of Northern Iowa

28-11, 19-1

Indiana State University

22-24, 9-13

Indiana State

Northern Iowa

UNI softball clinches MVC regular season title on Senior Day

5/1/2022 5:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- UNI softball set two program records, clinched a title, and celebrated their seniors with two wins against the Indiana State Sycamores on Sunday.

The Panthers clinched the MVC regular-season title with two wins over Indiana State on Sunday. Along with taking the regular-season title, UNI set two separate program records in the first 7-4 win and the second 6-3 win. In the first game, the Panthers brought their win streak to 15, a new school record. While in the second game, Northern Iowa hit their 61st home run of the season to set a new home run season record. The Panthers also celebrated their five seniors on Sunday after the doubleheader with a commencement ceremony.

Game 1 | W, 7-4
The Panthers would get the offense going early, scoring two runs in the first. After two straight outs to start the game, center fielder Madison Parks got the first single of the game to left field. Parks single was followed by a walk for left fielder Kamryn Shaffer. With two on, shortstop Kylee Sanders would reach first base on an error, allowing Parks to score the first run of the game.

Catcher Emmy Wells followed up with a single of her own to left-center, bringing Shaffer home for UNI's second run of the game. The Panthers would tack on another run in the second inning as well. Designated player Mya Dodge singled to right in her second at-bat of the game. Dodge would then go to steal second base a couple of pitches later, but two Sycamore errors during the steal attempt let Dodge get all the way home for run three.

Indiana State ended the shutout bid in the top of the third inning with a fielder's choice that got a run home. Northern Iowa would get the lead back up to three in the bottom of the fourth. Pinch-runner Hannah Isley scored from third base off a Brooke Snider single RBI. But the Sycamores continued to fight, putting up two solo home runs in the top of the fifth to make it a one-run game.

The Panthers answered right back with a home run of their own in the bottom of the fifth to grow their lead to four runs. With runners on second and first, Wells hit her 15th home run of the year to right-center field making it a 7-3 ball game. The sixth inning would pass quickly but Indiana State would get one more run through in the seventh.

But starting pitcher Kailyn Packard would shut the Sycamore offense down with a strikeout to end the game. Packard pitched her 18th complete game of the year, allowing seven hits and four runs with 12 strikeouts. Wells led the team in hits with three while Shaffer was the only UNI player to score multiple runs.

Game 2 | W, 6-3
It was a quick start to the second game for the Panthers as Parks hit a solo home run facing two outs in the first inning. The Sycamores would answer back quickly, taking their only lead of the day in the top of the second. With two runners in scoring position, Indiana State's second baseman hit a long single up the middle. The single brought both runners home for a 2-1 Sycamore lead.

It wouldn't be until the bottom of the third for Northern Iowa to get back on the board. First baseman DarynLamprecht led off the inning with a solo shot to right-center for her 8th home run of the year. Lamprecht's home run was also the Panthers 60th home run of the season, setting a new program record for most home runs after UNI scored 59 in 2019.

The game would stay tied through the top of the fourth until a double from Dodge in the bottom of the fourth brought second baseman Taylor Hogan home. Starting pitcher Samantha Heyer retired Indiana State in order in the top of the fifth, setting up another big offensive inning for the Panthers. Parks began the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle. A single by shortstop Kylee Sanders to right-center put Parks at third and herself at second off a bad Sycamore throw.

Just like in the first game of the day, with two runners in scoring position, Wells hit a moon shot to left-center. The three RBI home run extended Northern Iowa's lead to four runs with two innings left. Indiana State would add their final run of the game in the top of the sixth off a long single to left-center.

But four straight strikeouts by Heyer in the sixth and seventh would end the game to secure a 6-3 Panther win. Heyer pitched her fourth complete game of the year, allowing five hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Dodge and Parks both had two hits in the second game of the day. Parks also scored two runs with her solo homer in the first and off Wells' three-run RBI home run. The home run put Wells on top in RBIs in game two with three.

UP NEXT:
The Panthers host their final game of the regular season next week on Wednesday. The midweek contest will be between UNI and the Iowa Hawkeyes with first pitch set for 5 p.m.