University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
32-17
Evansville
20-34
Panther softball walks off Evansville in five innings
5/8/2025 10:51:00 PM | Softball
UNI advances to the MVC Semifinals with a 10-2, run-rule victory over Evansville.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The UNI Panther softball team opened the 2025 MVC Tournament with a Quarterfinal matchup against the 11-seeded Evansville Purple Aces on Thursday night. UNI jumped out to a quick start and never looked back as the Panthers dominated wire-to-wire in a 10-2, five-inning victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
MVC Player of the Year Kate Lappe got things started for the Panthers in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run home run on the first pitch of her first at-bat to give UNI an early advantage. Evansville responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning before a four-run inning from the Cats propelled UNI to a 7-2 lead. A two-RBI triple from Kylee Sanders, her second triple of the season, scored Paige Peterson and Ava Smithson before Sanders came across on a two-run home run from Addison McElrath.
Katelyn Callahan recorded her first hit of the game in the bottom of the third inning to give UNI an 8-2 lead. A wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning scored Ella Smithson from third base before another wild pitch scored Paige Peterson to give UNI a 10-2 victory in five innings.
BY THE NUMBERS
Every UNI starter recorded a hit in the contest against the Purple Aces while Kate Lappe led the Panthers with three RBIs. Sanders and McElrath recorded a pair of RBIs apiece. In the circle, Kara Maiers picked up her third win of the season with a 2.1-inning start.
UP NEXT
The Panthers advance to the semifinals of the MVC Softball Tournament and will face the Belmont Bruins on Friday, May 10. First pitch at Buel Field is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT with streaming available 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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Maiers, Kara (3-2)
L: K. Ridgway (6-13)
Batting:
2B: J. Willsey 1
HR: E. Piggott 1
RBI: E. Piggott 2
Base Running:
RUNS: J. Willsey 1 ; E. Piggott 1
Batting:
2B: Hinrichs, Drew 1 ; Smithson, Ella 1
3B: Sanders, Kylee 1
HR: McElrath, Addison 1 ; Lappe, Kate 1 ; Callahan, Katelyn 1
RBI: Sanders, Kylee 2 ; McElrath, Addison 2 ; Lappe, Kate 3 ; Callahan, Katelyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Benesh, Skylar 1 ; Sanders, Kylee 2 ; McElrath, Addison 1 ; Lappe, Kate 1 ; Callahan, Katelyn 1 ; Smithson, Ella 1 ; Smithson, Ava 1 ; Peterson, Paige 2
SB: Peterson, Paige 1
HBP: McElrath, Addison 1
