UNI softball rides four-run fourth inning to victory against UIC

Friday, April 19

Cedar Falls, Iowa

5 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

22-15, 0

UIC

16-27, 0

UIC

Northern Iowa

UNI softball vs. UIC | April 19, 2024 (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

Photo by: Devin Baas

UNI softball rides four-run fourth inning to victory against UIC

4/19/2024 8:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score FINAL RESULTS Photo Gallery

Samantha Heyer pitches complete game, Panthers withstand late Flames rally in series opener

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI softball took down UIC 6-3 on Friday evening at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex. The Panthers broke the game open with a four-run frame in the bottom of the fourth inning, and held off a late UIC rally to take home a three-run victory.

Little separated the Panthers and Flames for the opening three innings of the contest. UIC found early success against Panther starting pitcher Samantha Heyer, though. The Flames loaded the bases in the first inning and picked up multiple hits in the top of the third inning, but were unable to push the opening run of the game across.

The Panthers did not find the same level of success against UIC starting pitcher Christina Toniolo, but did have four walks through the first three innings of the contest. Kate Lappe hit a two-out single in the bottom of the third inning for the Panthers' first hit of the contest.

Heyer forced three consecutive flyouts in the top of the fourth inning, then the Panthers blew the game open. Kylee Sanders led off the inning with a single, and eventually scored from second base on a one-out RBI single from Taylor Hogan. Toniolo then retired Savanna Jemilo, but Daryn Lamprecht hammered a double to right center field that scored Hogan and doubled the Panthers' advantage.

With a 2-0 lead, UNI's two-out rally continued. Madison Parks drove pinch runner Makenna Kuper home with a single through the right side of the Flames' infield, and advanced all the way to third base after a fielding error by UIC's right fielder. Alexis Pupillo drove Parks home with an RBI single to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead.

Heyer continued to stifle UIC's offense in the fifth and sixth innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the Panthers found more offensive success against UIC relief pitcher Carlee Jo Clark. Lamprecht picked up her second hit of the contest with a one-out single, then advanced to second base on just the third steal of her collegiate career. After Parks walked, Pupillo drove Lamprecht home with a sharply-hit single up the middle.

Parks advanced to third on the throw, and eventually scored UNI's sixth and final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Lappe.

Heyer ultimately finished off her complete game in the top of the seventh inning, but UIC did make a late push. Larisa Villa drilled a two-RBI single that cut UNI's lead to 6-3, but Heyer picked up a strikeout to cap a taxing complete game.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Friday's victory marked the 486 career coaching victory for UNI softball head coach Ryan Jacobs. That total moved him into a tie for eighth place on the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) softball all-time coaching wins list.
Jacobs is now level with former Southern Illinois head coach Kay Brechtelsbauer, and can hold sole possession of eighth place with one more victory.
Parks now has 37 walks this season after a multi-walk effort on Friday night. She entered the weekend ranked No. 3 nationally and No. 1 in the MVC with 0.97 walks per game. Parks, who broke UNI softball's career walks record earlier this season, has 139 walks in her Panther career.
With 37 walks, Parks has moved into a tie for third place on UNI softball's single season walks leaderboard. She is tied with herself, as Parks picked up 37 walks in 2023. Kennedy Bailey (2016) holds the program record with 44 walks.
Lamprecht recorded her third career stolen base on Friday night. Her last stolen base came against Loyola Chicago on April 9, 2022.
Pupillo now has 39 RBIs for the season and 83 in her UNI career.
Friday marked Heyer's 11th victory of the 2024 season in the circle. The victory also marked Heyer's 10th complete game this season. Her single-season career high is 12 complete games, which was done in 2023.
This weekend marks UIC's first-ever trip to Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex and the second-ever MVC series between the Panthers and Flames. The first came at Flames Field in 2023, a series the Panthers swept.
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.

UP NEXT

The Panthers continue their series against the Flames at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.