University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
15-12
Illinois
8-24
Panthers outslug Fighting Illini in first Big Ten win of the season
3/24/2026 8:01:00 PM | Softball
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — The UNI Panther softball team traveled to Champaign, Illinois, to take on the Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois. The Panther bats came to play, as UNI put up seven runs in the first inning, thanks to back-to-back home runs from Breynn Acton and Kate Lappe, to set the tone for an offense-heavy contest. UNI finished the game with a 10-4 victory, its first Big Ten win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Skylar Benesh drew a 13-pitch, leadoff walk, including seven foul balls, to be UNI's first base runner of the game. Benesh was promptly plated on the next Panther at-bat, as Brynn Acton hit her fifth home run of the season to take a 2-0 lead. Kate Lappe followed the Acton home run with her 11th home run of the season, as UNI took a quick 3-0 lead before back-to-back hit-by-pitches drawn by Katelyn Callahan and Ava Smithson drove away the Illinois pitcher without recording an out.
A Finley Netten single later in the top of the opening frame scored Ava Smithson and Sykora Smith before a single from Skylar Benesh plated Drew Hinrichs. Netten scored on an error for the Panthers' final run of the first inning to take a 7-0 lead after the opening half of the matchup.
Illinois answered in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of runs on a single before a scoreless second inning from both teams.
Kate Lappe drove in another run in the top of the third inning as Skylar Benesh scored from first base, before Illinois scored runs in back-to-back innings in the bottom of the fourth and the fifth.
The Panthers plated two runners in the top of the sixth inning on a home run off the bat of Sykora Smith, which scored Katelyn Callahan, for UNI's final runs of the game. The Panthers ended the contest with a 10-4 victory after back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.
BY THE NUMBERS
Skylar Benesh, Kate Lappe, and Sykora Smith each recorded a pair of hits. Lappe finished with two hits, one run, and a pair of RBIs with a home run and a double in two at-bats and two walks. Brynn Acton, Sykora Smith, and Finley Netten also finished with two RBIs. Maddy McDermott picked up her second win of the season in a 4.1-inning start.
UP NEXT
The Panthers get to play their first home game in a month and a half, and their first at Robinson-Dresser since last season, as the Cats take on the Illinois State Redbirds on Friday and Saturday. The three-game series sees a doubleheader on Friday with a single game on Saturday, all 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 2026 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McDermott, Maddy (2-4)
L: Yergler,Karley (2-10)
Batting:
2B: Lappe, Kate 1
HR: Acton, Brynn 1 ; Lappe, Kate 1 ; Smith, Sykora 1
RBI: Benesh, Skylar 1 ; Acton, Brynn 2 ; Lappe, Kate 2 ; Smith, Sykora 2 ; Netten, Finley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Benesh, Skylar 2 ; Acton, Brynn 1 ; Lappe, Kate 1 ; Callahan, Katelyn 1 ; Smithson, Ava 1 ; Smith, Sykora 2 ; Hinrichs, Drew 1 ; Netten, Finley 1
HBP: Callahan, Katelyn 1 ; Smithson, Ava 1
Batting:
RBI: Click,Keirys 1 ; Donahue,Eileen 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Brennan,Skylar 1 ; Click,Keirys 1 ; Debevec,Gabrielle 1 ; Miller,Alaina 1
CS: Yeager,Jackie 1
