University of Northern Iowa
32-13
Drake University
21-29
UNI softball moves on to MVC Championship with run-rule win of Drake
5/13/2022 2:24:00 PM | Softball
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A record-tying first inning set UNI softball up for a smooth sailing semifinal victory over in-state rival Drake.
The Panthers put up enough runs to run-rule the Bulldogs in the bottom of the first in their debut of the MVC Championship Tournament on Friday morning. A home run, a double, three singles, and three walks in the first made up the majority of UNI's offense to grab the 9-1 win to move to the championship game on Saturday afternoon.
After two Drake batters made it on base, starting pitcher Kailyn Packard threw two straight strikeouts to end the top of the first. To start the bottom of the first, left fielder Mya Dodge was hit by a pitch to take a base and was followed by right fielder Sammy Moss with a walk. In the next at-bat, center fielder Madison Parks hit her eighth home run of the season back to center field for a 3-0 lead.
Catcher Emmy Wells moved into the cleanup spot in the batting order on Friday and walked following Parks' homer. The next two Panther batters would be caught out but a long single to left field by shortstop Kylee Sanders scored another run to make it a 4-0 game. UNI would quickly make it a six-run game as third baseman Brooke Snider walked and first baseman Daryn Lamprecht hit a two-RBI double to left.
Immediately after Lamprecht's double, Dodge would come back up to bat and single to right, sending Lamprecht home for run number seven. The Panthers would finish off the inning with one more run when Moss singled through the right side for Dodge to make it around the bases. A fielder's choice to Parks would end the big inning for Northern Iowa as the Bulldogs had to use three pitchers to get out of the first.
The Panthers would connect over the next three innings with a ninth and final run scored in the bottom of the second. After a leadoff strikeout, second baseman Taylor Hogan singled to second base. After stealing a base two batters later, Hogan would come in on a Drake error at second after Sanders connected on a pitch from Bulldog pitcher Emma Richards.
UNI would have two more hits over the next three innings but would stay at nine runs. Drake ended the Panthers shutout bid in the top of the fourth after a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. After the run scored, UNI's defense would grab a ground out to end the inning.
Relief pitcher Samantha Heyer would throw two straight strikeouts to end the game in the top of the fifth, helping secure the 9-1 Panther victory. Packard would be credited with the win, her 20th of the season on three innings pitched with three strikeouts and two hits allowed. Heyer would be credited with two innings of work for one hit, one run, and three strikeouts.
Dodge would be the only Panther hitter with two hits in the game while six other batters had a hit each (Moss, Parks, Hogan, Sanders, Snider, and Lamprecht). Parks led the team in RBIs with her three-run homer while Wells led the team defensively with six putouts.
UP NEXT:
The Panthers will face either Missouri State or Illinois State on Saturday afternoon in the championship game at Killian Stadium. First pitch for UNI's final MVC contest of the year is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Packard, Kailyn (20-6)
L: N. Timmons (6-11)
Batting:
RBI: M. Johnson 1
SH: H. Lehman 1
SF: M. Johnson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: A. Beitzinge 1
SB: M. Johnson 1 ; L. Ryan 1
HBP: D. Taylor 1 ; H. Lehman 1
Batting:
2B: Lamprecht, Daryn 1
HR: Parks, Madison 1
RBI: Dodge, Mya 1 ; Moss, Sammy 1 ; Parks, Madison 3 ; Sanders, Kylee 1 ; Lamprecht, Daryn 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Dodge, Mya 2 ; Moss, Sammy 1 ; Parks, Madison 1 ; Erpelding, Maggie 1 ; Hogan, Taylor 1 ; Sanders, Kylee 1 ; Snider, Brooke 1 ; Lamprecht, Daryn 1
SB: Dodge, Mya 1 ; Parks, Madison 1 ; Erpelding, Maggie 1 ; Hogan, Taylor 1
CS: Dodge, Mya 1
HBP: Dodge, Mya 1
