Panthers roll Bulldogs in the first meeting of the season

Tuesday, April 8

Des Moines, Iowa

5 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

22-11, 10-3

Drake

13-22, 5-8

UNI

Drake

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

Panthers roll Bulldogs in the first meeting of the season

4/8/2025 7:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Final Stats

UNI softball wins 13th straight against Drake with a 7-1 final score.

DES MOINES, Iowa — UNI softball traveled to Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, April 8 to take on Drake in a midweek matchup. The Panthers jumped out big early and tacked on more later en route to a 7-1 victory and the 13th straight against the Bulldogs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Panthers got on the board first with a first-pitch home run in the top of the third from Drew Hinrichs, her sixth of the season, to take a 1-0 lead. The Cats added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a three-run lead over the Bulldogs. A single from Addison McElrath scored Paige Peterson from second base and a single from Hinrichs scored Skylar Benesh.

Drake cut into the Panther lead with a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning which was answered by another first-pitch home run, this one from Benesh, to push UNI's lead back to three at 4-1. Three more runs crossed the plate in the top of the fifth with a two-RBI single from Hinrichs and a fielder's choice from Katelyn Callahan. Makenna Kuper and Kylee Sanders scored on the Hinrichs single and Adalyn Reynolds beat the throw from third base on the Callahan FC. UNI held a 7-1 lead after the visitor-half of the fifth frame.

The Bulldogs got runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to get them across home plate as UNI ended the contest with a 7-1 victory. Hinrichs was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in four runs for the Panthers. In the circle, Anna Wischnowski recorded her 12th win of the season and her 10th complete game of the season with five strikeouts and just one earned run.

UP NEXT

The Panthers head back to Cedar Falls to host the Murray State Racers for a three-game series that opens on Friday, April 11. First pitch against the Racers is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Friday and is 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.