Panthers sweep day one of the 2025 Purple/Gold Challenge

Friday, February 28

Nashville, Tenn.

11 a.m.

University of Northern Iowa

8-3

Ohio

9-5

Ohio

Northern Iowa

Panthers sweep day one of the 2025 Purple/Gold Challenge

2/28/2025 7:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Final Stats (Ohio)Final Stats (Lipscomb)

UNI softball continues its dominating season with a 2-1, extra-inning victory over Ohio and a 9-6 victory over Lipscomb.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — UNI softball traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in the 2025 Purple/Gold Challenge hosted by Lipscomb. The Panther bats came to play as UNI took home a pair of victories with a 2-1 victory in eight innings against Ohio and a 9-6 victory over host Lipscomb.

GAME ONE | UNI 2, Ohio 1 (8 Inn.)

The Panthers and the Bobcats battled even through the first seven innings as UNI headed to its second straight extra-inning contest. In the top of the eighth, the Bobcats scored to take a 1-0 lead before Ava Smithson's first homerun of the season scored Eve Morris, running for Katelyn Callahan, to give UNI the 2-1 victory.

Anna Wischnowski recorded seven strikeouts in her sixth complete game of the season. She moves to 5-1 in the circle on the season after the victory. Kylee Sanders, Addison McElrath, Kate Lappe, Katelyn Callahan, and Ava Smithson recorded the lone hits for UNI in the matchup. Makenna Kuper stole her fifth base of the season running for McElrath.

GAME TWO | UNI 9, Lipscomb 6

The UNI offense got the bats hot early with a two-run homerun off the bat of Addison McElrath in the top of the first inning. Kylee Sanders crossed the plate on the shot. A two-run homerun in the bottom half of the inning tied the game up at two before a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning by Maddy McDermott gave UNI a 3-2 lead as Katelyn Callahan crossed the plate. A two-RBI single from Skylar Benesh scored Ella Smithson and Eve Morris to put the Panthers in front 5-2 after two and a half innings.

A two-run homerun from Lipscomb in the bottom of the third inning and another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Bison a 6-5 lead before a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning gave UNI the lead at 7-6. The Panthers tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning on a two-RBI single, scoring Brynlee Slockett and Kylee Sanders to give the Cats a three-run lead at 9-6 heading into the final half inning of the matchup. A three-up, three-down bottom half of the seventh inning saw the Panthers take home a 9-6 victory in game two of the Challenge.

Kate Lappe finished with three RBIs on three hits in five at-bats. Benesh was the other Panther with multiple hits, recording two hits on four at-bats. The Panthers stole six bases against the Bison including one from Benesh, Makenna Kuper, Adalyn Reynolds, Katelyn Callahan, Eve Morris, and Ella Smithson. Morgan Vertz picked up her fourth victory of the season in the circle after going five innings against Lipscomb.

UP NEXT

The Panthers continue the 2025 Purple/Gold Challenge on Saturday, March 1 with another pair of matchups against Ohio and Lipscomb. The Panthers take on the Bobcats at 11 a.m. CT and the Bisons at 1:30 p.m. CT. The matchup against Lipscomb will be available to stream on ESPN+.

UNI softball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Softball), X (@UNISoftball), and on Instagram (@unisoftball). The 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.