University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Drake
UNI softball looks to bounce back with four games at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex
4/15/2024 2:38:00 PM | Softball
UNI softball (20-15 / 8-5 MVC) vs. Drake (18-18 / 6-7 MVC)
- 5 p.m. CT | April 17
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+
UNI softball (20-15 / 8-5 MVC) vs. UIC (16-26 / 9-8 MVC)
- 5 p.m CT | April 19
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+
UNI softball vs. UIC
- 2 p.m. CT | April 20
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+
UNI softball vs. UIC
- 12 p.m CT | April 21
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+
- LIVE STATS (All Games)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI softball returns to Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex this week for a quartet of Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) contests. The Panthers begin the week with the second game of their extended three-game series against Drake, then host UIC for a three-game weekend series.
Due to forecasted inclement weather on Tuesday, the Panthers' contest against the Bulldogs has been moved to Wednesday at 5 p.m. from Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex. UNI then has a day off before their home series against the Flames begins at 5 p.m. on Friday. The series continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday and wraps up at 12 p.m. on Sunday. All four games this week will be broadcast on ESPN+, and live stats will be available.
UNI went 2-2 for the second consecutive week last week, but enters this week with a heightened desire for multiple strong performances. Over the weekend, the Panthers dropped two of three games at Bradley. UNI did salvage the weekend with a come-from-behind 5-4 victory on Sunday, but the series marked the Panthers' first MVC series loss since 2021.
The week began on a positive note, though, as the Panthers downed Drake 7-0 last Tuesday in Des Moines. A bases-clearing knock from Taylor Hogan gave UNI a 4-0 lead in the third inning, which provided more than enough cushion for Samantha Heyer in the circle. Heyer went the distance in a complete game shutout and struck out 13 Bulldog batters in one of her more dominant performances of the 2024 season. Alexis Pupillo rounded out the afternoon for the Panthers with a two-run home run, her 13th of the season and a blast that moved her into a tie for fifth place on UNI softball's career home runs list.
UNI was unable to build on that momentum in its weekend series at Bradley. The Braves blanked the Panthers' offense in a 6-0 affair on Friday, then a late UNI rally fell short on Saturday as Bradley secured the series. The Braves then appeared headed towards a series sweep last Sunday. Daryn Lamprecht leveled Sunday's contest at 1-1 after a solo home run in the top of the third inning, but Bradley tagged Heyer for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a decisive 4-1 lead.
Clutch hitting ultimately salvaged the series for the Panthers. Kate Lappe recorded a two-out RBI in the top of the fifth inning to cut Bradley's lead to 4-2, then a two-out triple from Ava Smithson in the top of the sixth inning led to another run after Savanna Jemilo promptly muscled a single to left field. Trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, the Panthers were down to their final out when Kate Lappe roped a triple to right field. That brought Addison McElrath to the plate, and she floated a single over the outstretched glove of Bradley's second baseman to tie the game.
The contest went to extra innings, and with one out in the top of the eighth Smithson blasted a solo home run to center field. The home run was a perfect cap to Smithson's week, as she was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday for the first weekly honors of her Panther career. Anna Wischnowski, who entered the contest for Heyer in the bottom of the fourth inning, capped an excellent 4.2 innings of relief in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a 5-4 victory for the Panthers.
Lappe led the Panthers at the plate last week, posting a .385 batting average and going 5-for-13 across four appearances. Her eight total bases were tied for a team-high, and she also recorded a .615 slugging percentage. Smithson, meanwhile, went 3-for-9 at the plate in four appearances last week while recording her first career multi-extra base hit game at the Division I level.
Madison Parks recorded three total walks last week and now has 35 for the season. She enters the week ranked No. 3 nationally and No. 1 in the MVC with 1.00 walks per game. Parks' 35 walks also moved her into a tie for fourth place on UNI softball's single-season walks leaderboard, and she is nine walks away from matching Kennedy Bailey's (2016) program record of 44 walks. Pupillo, meanwhile, still leads the MVC in home runs (13), home runs per game (0.37), RBIs (35), RBIs per game (1.00) and sacrifice flies (five).
The Panthers begin this week with their second matchup against the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening. Wednesday's game will mark the lone home game for the Panthers in the extended three-game series, which wraps up on April 23 in Des Moines. With a victory, the Panthers could earn their fourth consecutive series victory against the Bulldogs. UNI is currently riding a nine-game winning streak against Drake, which includes last week's seven-run victory.
Last week, the Bulldogs lost 6-3 against Missouri on April 10 before winning a weekend series at Murray State. Drake starting pitcher Molly Hoekstra, who started last Tuesday's game against the Panthers, picked up her ninth victory in the circle in last Sunday's rubber match against the Racers. The Bulldogs have won three consecutive MVC series.
UNI then welcomes UIC to Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex for the first time ever. This weekend will mark just the second MVC series between the sides, with the first coming at Flames Field in 2023. UIC has visited Cedar Falls before, as the Flames participated in the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic (formerly the UNI-Dome Tournament) seven times during the late 1980s and early 1990s. UIC's last involvement in the event was in 1994 and, prior to the series last season, the last meeting between the Panthers and Flames came in 2013.
The Flames are 16-26 so far in 2024, but are 9-8 in MVC play after taking two of three games from Indiana State over the weekend. The Flames have won four consecutive MVC series, with their last loss coming via sweep against Southern Illinois in late March. Christina Toniolo and Carlee Jo Clark have each made 23 pitching appearances for the Flames, and UIC ranks No. 5 in the MVC with a 3.30 team ERA. The Flames average 2.93 runs per game, which ranks No. 10 in the conference.
