UNI softball to play second game against Drake in Des Moines

UNI softball at Drake

5 p.m. | April 18
Des Moines, Iowa | Ron Buel Field (500)
ESPN+ | Laura Leonard: Analyst

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Panthers will play the first of only two road games in their home state on Tuesday evening.

UNI travels to Ron Buel Field for the only time this season for the second of three midweek matchups with the Drake Bulldogs. The only other road game that the Panthers will have in Iowa comes against the Hawkeyes in two weeks. In their first meeting this year, the Panthers ended the game early with a 9-1 win over the Bulldogs as freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo hit a walk-off home run to right-center field in the bottom of the sixth to put UNI up by eight. The Panthers hope to have a similar result on Tuesday evening in Des Moines.

THE PANTHERS:
- UNI's bats have exploded after hitting the midway point of the conference season, outscoring the Southern Illinois Salukis 41-7 in three games over the weekend. The Panthers had another perfect week in the Missouri Valley Conference picking up four wins to still have just one conference loss on the season.
- The Panthers now lead the MVC in multiple categories including, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, home runs, total bases, opposing batting average, and least hits allowed
- UNI moves into the second half of the Valley season with another midweek matchup against the Drake Bulldogs on Tuesday in Des Moines. UNI stays on the road for the weekend with a three-game series in Normal, Ill. against the Illinois State Redbirds.
- Freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo is the new MVC home run leader after adding five more to her season this past week. Pupillo has 14 homers this season pushing her past Southern Illinois shortstop Jackie Lis after the two freshmen played three head-to-head games in Cedar Falls over the week.

THE BULLDOGS:
- Since last week's contest, Drake has lost games to Iowa and Illinois State by fairly close margins outside of one double-digit loss to the Redbirds. The Bulldogs sit at ninth in the Missouri Valley standings with four wins against Bradley and Murray State.
- The Bulldogs have been productive on offense thanks to outfielders Emma Dighton and MaKayla Rice. Dighton leads Drake in OPS, slugging percentage, RBI, and home runs. She's recently started heating up at the plate with a .447 batting average in her last 10 games to jump her season batting average to .295.
- Rice leads the team in season batting average at .297 among players with over 100 at-bats. She has also slugged a team-high six doubles while adding nine stolen bases to her resume this season.
- Dominating in the circle for the Bulldogs has been Mackenzie Hupke. Hupke leads the team with a 2.97 ERA and five wins. She has accumulated 111 strikeouts this season, which is good for fifth place in the MVC.

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