UNI softball picks up series win with 8-4 victory over Belmont on Saturday

Saturday, March 16

Nashville, Tenn.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

13-9, 2-0

Belmont

14-9, 0-2

Northern Iowa

Belmont

UNI softball picks up series win with 8-4 victory over Belmont on Saturday

3/16/2024 5:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score FINAL RESULTS

Wischnowski’s complete game, three-RBI Pupillo performance leads Panthers to victory

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- UNI softball picked up its first Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) series win of 2024 on Saturday afternoon with an 8-4 victory over Belmont. Following Friday night's 10-inning contest between the sides, Saturday's affair was settled in much more straightforward fashion after a solid offensive performance from the Panthers.

Alexis Pupillo had a team-high three RBIs, and Madison Parks added two RBIs of her own to pace the team offensively. In the circle, Anna Wischnowski pitched her fourth career complete game as the Panthers picked up a four-run victory.

The first run of Friday's game between UNI and Belmont was not scored until the 10th inning. UNI scored the first run of Saturday's contest after the first three batters of the game. Pupillo led off the contest with a blooped double down the right field line, and moved to third after a Parks groundout. Kate Lappe then drove home the opening run of the contest with a sacrifice fly.

Belmont quickly tied the contest up, though, as Nicole Hughes hit a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the first.

Wischnowski and Belmont starting pitcher Emma Summers each avoided damage in the second inning, but the Bruins had a serious chance to take the lead in the bottom of the frame. With one out in the inning, Belmont recorded back-to-back singles and looked primed to take the lead for the first time in the contest. However, Wischnowski struck out consecutive batters to quell the scoring chance and send the game to the third.

Riding the momentum from Wischnowski's strikeouts, the Panthers opened up the contest in the top of the third. Daryn Lamprecht led off the frame with a single, then Pupillo hit a towering home run to left field that put UNI ahead 3-1. The Panthers kept rolling after Pupillo's blast, as Parks and Lappe reached base consecutively before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hogan.

Addison McElrath then drove home the Panthers' third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, and Kylee Sanders brought home Lappe to extend UNI's lead to 5-1.

A Pupillo sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth gave UNI a 6-1 advantage, and Parks' first RBI of the contest gave UNI a 7-1 lead after the top of the fourth. UNI scored its final run of the game in the top of the sixth, which marked Parks' second RBI of the game, as the Panthers took an 8-1 lead.

Belmont did mount a late rally, picking up its second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth and loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Grace Gressly knocked home a run to make it an 8-3 game, and a sacrifice fly from Brenna Blume made it 8-4.

Wischnowski stayed in the game, though, and forced back-to-back flyouts to end the game and secure a series win for the Panthers.

UNI now sits at 13-9 entering the final game of the series tomorrow.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Saturday's victory officially meant that the first-ever series between UNI and Belmont would go in the Panthers' favor. This weekend marks the first-ever conference meeting between the Panthers and Bruins, and the sides had met just twice before this weekend.
Wischnowski continued her breakout campaign against the Bruins on Saturday with her fourth complete game of the 2024 season. Her 57.1 innings pitched, seven victories and 4.03 ERA are all career-best marks through 12 appearances so far in 2024.
Lamprecht recorded a season-high three hits against the Bruins on Saturday. It marked the second three-hit game of Lamprecht's career, her first since 2021.
Pupillo hit her ninth home run of the 2024 season on Saturday, and now has a team-high 24 RBIs.
Parks recorded another walk on Saturday and now has 27 so far this season. Parks entered action on Friday ranked first in the MVC in on-base percentage and walks per game, and ranked second nationally in the latter statistic.
Parks, UNI softball's career leader in total walks, is closing in on the program's single-season record for total walks. The current record is held by Kennedy Bailey, who recorded 44 walks in 2016.
Saturday marked Parks' first multi-RBI game of 2024.

UP NEXT

UNI concludes its series against Belmont on Sunday. First pitch is at 12 p.m. CT and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.