Panthers split Robinson-Dresser opening doubleheader

Friday, March 27

Cedar Falls, Iowa

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

15-13, 3-3

Illinois State

18-9, 8-2

Illinois St.

Northern Iowa

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

Panthers split Robinson-Dresser opening doubleheader

3/27/2026 9:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI Panthers were back in Cedar Falls for the first time in almost a month on Friday afternoon for a doubleheader against the Illinois State Redbirds. Game one took extra innings to decide, but game two ended in regulation, as the teams split the series-opening doubleheader.

GAME ONE | Illinois State 8, UNI 6 (F/8)

Illinois State opened the contest's scoring in the top of the second inning with six runs to take a big lead early in the matchup. A sacrifice fly and a run on a delayed double steal gave the Redbirds their first two runs of the inning, before a grand slam plated four to give Illinois State a 6-0 lead.

UNI got on the board off the bat of Brynn Acton in the bottom of the fifth inning. With Benesh on base, Acton sent a ball deep for a home run, her sixth of the season.

Down 6-2 with just one half inning left for the Panthers, Ava Smithson continued her home run-hitting trend with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the deficit to one run. Sykora Smith stepped up to the plate with two outs and no one on base, down one run. A liner down the right field line bounced off the first baseman's glove to get Smith on base. A bobble in the outfield by the right fielder advanced Smith to third base before another fielding error by the third baseman advanced Smith home for a little league home run. The Panthers tied the game at six with four runs in the seventh inning.

Illinois State scored a pair in the top of the eighth inning to take an 8-6 lead. UNI was unable to answer in the bottom of the frame as the Redbirds claimed a series-opening victory, 8-6 in eight innings.

Brynn Acton finished with three hits and two runs with two RBIs and a home run in five at-bats. Katelyn Callahan, Ava Smithson, and Drew Hinrichs also recorded multi-hit performances, with two hits apiece. Smithson finished with three RBIs on a three-run home run. In the circle, Ashlyn Enke picked up four strikeouts in a 5.2-inning relief effort.

GAME TWO | UNI 10, Illinois State 5

Northern Iowa got back in the driver's seat in game two with a 10-5 victory to split day one at Robinson-Dresser. The Cats scored the game's first runs in the bottom of the third inning, as six runs crossed the plate. Brynn Acton hit her second home run of the day with Skylar Benesh and Finley Netten on base to give UNI its first three runs. Kate Lappe followed Acton's home run with a home run of her own on the very next at-bat for the Panthers' fourth run, before Katelyn Callahan scored on an error and Sykora Smith scored on a single off the bat of Finley Netten.

With a 6-0 lead, Kate Lappe hit her second home run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the Panther lead to seven runs.

Illinois State put up a big number in the top of the sixth inning to cut into the UNI lead with a sacrifice fly, a pair of bases-loaded walks, and a single to drive in five total runs in the frame. The Redbirds cut the Panther lead to two runs at 7-5 after the top of the sixth inning.

Three runs from the Panthers in the bottom of the sixth extended the Cats' lead back to five runs at 10-5 after six full innings of play. Singles from Sykora Smith and Addison Brunner drove in runs before Peyton Johnson scored on a fielding error for UNI's 10th run of the matchup. Morgan Vertz came in and shut down the Illinois State offense, with two strikeouts to close the contest.

Kate Lappe, Peyton Johnson, and Finely Netten each finished with two hits. Lappe's two hits were both long balls, her second multi-home run game of the season. Brynn Acton drove in three runs with her home run. In the circle, Anna Wischnowski picked up her seventh victory of the season in a 5.1-inning start. She finished with four strikeouts.

UP NEXT

The Panthers wrap up their home-field-opening series on Saturday, with game three against the Illinois State Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will be 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.