University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State
Panthers head to Iowa State for a midweek rematch
3/30/2026 2:18:00 PM | Softball
UNI softball (17-13 / 5-3 MVC) at Iowa State (20-13 / 3-6 Big 12)
- Cyclone Sports Complex | Ames, Iowa
- March 31 | 4:00 p.m. CT
- ESPN+
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Panthers head to Ames, Iowa, for a rematch with the Iowa State Cyclones on Tuesday, March 31, after the Cyclones took a 5-3 victory in the first meeting of the season in the final game of the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic. In that game, Iowa State took an early lead before a three-run inning from UNI flipped the script in the fourth. Four runs in the top of the fifth were Iowa State's answer, as the Cyclones came away with the victory. Sykora Smith had the Panthers' lone multi-hit performance of the game with two hits in three at-bats. She drove in UNI's first runner of the game, before Brynn Acton drove in another, and Smith scored on a passed ball later in the frame.
UNI is coming off a 2-1 series with Illinois State last weekend. The Redbirds came away with a game-one win, 8-6 in eight innings, before UNI forced a split of the Friday doubleheader with a 10-5 victory in game two. In what looked like it was going to be a run-rule victory for the Redbirds, UNI's bats got hot and dug out of a 13-run hole after the top of the third with an 11-run bottom of the third inning and a nine-run bottom of the fifth. The Cats hit the Redbirds with an Uno Reverse and finished with a 24-16, six-inning run-rule victory. The 24 runs scored marked the program's Division I scoring record, as did the 40 combined runs.
Brynn Acton finished with three home runs in game three, the first time a Panther has hit three long balls in the same game since Mya Dodge in 2023 against Southern Illinois. Acton hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the bottom of the third inning alone, the first time a Panther has had multiple home runs in the same inning since Sammey Bunch in 2021 against Evansville.
Last week, including the matchup with Illinois, Drew Hinrichs batted .600, leading UNI, with six hits, four runs, and four RBIs in 10 at-bats. Brynn Acton led the Panthers with eight total hits, including seven runs, six home runs, 15 RBIs, and 26 total bases for a 1.368 slugging percentage and a .421 batting average in 19 at-bats. Kate Lappe hit four home runs over the course of the week with a .417 batting average with five hits, all extra-base hits, including the four home runs and a double. She slugged 1.500 in 12 at-bats and seven walks.
As of March 30, UNI leads the MVC in multiple statistical categories, including batting average (.329), doubles (57), doubles per game (1.90), hits (276), home runs (52), home runs per game (1.73), on-base percentage (.440), RBIs per game (7.33), total RBIs (220), scoring (7.97), slugging percentage (.595), total runs (239), total sacrifice flies (10), and walks (159). The Cats have the ninth-most walks in the nation, while ranking 13th in home runs per game and RBIs per game, and 14th in runs scored per game. UNI is 17th in the nation with a .595 team slugging percentage and has hit the 18th-most home runs in Division I.
Individually, Kate Lappe has drawn the nation's fourth-most walks per game this season with 1.00, which leads the Valley. The senior has the ninth-best slugging percentage in Division I, with a Valley-leading 1.057, and is 10th in the nation with 0.47 home runs per game. Lappe is 15th in the nation with 14 total home runs, after three last weekend against the Redbirds. She also leads the Valley with 93 total bases and is second in the league with 35 RBIs and 1.13 runs per game.
Skylar Benesh leads the Valley with 46 hits, 40 runs, and 1.33 runs per game. She is second in the conference with a .447 batting average, a .528 on-base percentage, a .816 slugging percentage, and 84 total bases, and is third in the Valley with 10 home runs.
With two victories against the Redbirds, Coach Jacobs moved up to No. 4 on the Valley's MVC wins list, passing Rich Calvert (DU, 2003-23) in the No. 4 spot with 284 league wins. Jacobs sits with 285 MVC victories.
Six new faces grace the Panther roster, including two transfers and four freshmen. Kelsey Endress joins the Cats after a three-year career at Florida Atlantic, while Peyton Johnson spent a pair of seasons at Kirkwood Community College before transferring to UNI.
The Panthers return four All-Valley honorees from a season ago, including 2025 All-Defensive team honoree Ella Smithson and All-Conference honorees Kate Lappe, Skylar Benesh, and Anna Wischnowski. UNI also returns the Missouri Valley Conference MVP, Kate Lappe.
Kate Lappe is coming off a season that saw her finish the 2025 campaign with 61 hits, 34 runs, and 48 RBIs for a .433 batting average and a .915 slugging percentage. Her 19 home runs are tied for second on UNI's single-season home runs record list while her batting average and slugging percentage are second in each single-season category along with her .542 on-base percentage. Through the MVC Tournament, Lappe led the league in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases and was second in home runs per game, RBIs, RBIs per game, and total walks. She was named MVC Player of the Week twice and D1Softball.com National Player of the Week once during the 2025 regular season.
Last season, UNI recorded its sixth straight season (excluding COVID-19 2020 season) at .500 or better in conference play as well as top three in the league. After UNI's series against Illinois State, the Panthers have won 126 conference matchups in that span to just 37 MVC losses.
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.
