Panthers drop a pair in a doubleheader at Southern Illinois.

Friday, April 17

Carbondale, Ill.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

22-17, 10-6

Southern Illinois

26-14, 15-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Iowa	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	0
Southern Ill.	0	0	0	0	1	1	X	2	7	0

Photo by: Dominic Hoscher - Southern Illinois

Panthers drop a pair in a doubleheader at Southern Illinois.

4/17/2026 7:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CARBONDALE, Illinois — The UNI Panther softball team headed to Carbondale, Illinois, for a three-game series at the site of the 2026 MVC Softball Tournament. The dominant UNI offense struggled to get going, as the Panthers fell in both matchups of the doubleheader.

GAME ONE | SIU 2, UNI 1

The Panther defense stood tall for the first four innings of play, with three 1-2-3 innings of the first four played. The UNI bats struggled to get hot until a triple off the bat of freshman Finley Netten put the third baseman in scoring position. Skylar Benesh drove a ball through the gap between third and short to drive in Netten for the Panthers' first and only run of the game.

The Cats allowed RBI singles in back-to-back innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth frames to lose the lead. The Salukis went on to win the contest 2-1 at the end of seven innings.

Katelyn Callahan was UNI's lone multi-hit performer with two of the Panthers' four hits. Skylar Benesh drove in UNI's lone run of the game, going 1-for-2. Ashlyn Enke pitched six innings in the circle with one strikeout.

GAME TWO | SIU 3, UNI 1

The Salukis were the first on the board in the bottom of the third inning. A single to center drove in a run from second base for SIU's first run of the game. They tacked on another in the bottom of the fifth inning on a passed ball.

UNI scored its first run to answer in the top of the sixth frame. A single off the bat of Drew Hinrichs drove in Addison Brunner. The run was UNI's lone score of the second game, as SIU went on to tack on another on a double in the bottom of the sixth. The Salukis finished the matchup with a 3-1 victory.

Brynn Acton and Drew Hinrichs each recorded a pair of hits in three at-bats. Hinrichs drove in the Panthers' lone run of the contest. Anna Wischnowski finished with three strikeouts in a four-inning start in the circle.

UP NEXT

The Panthers look to avoid the series sweep on Saturday, April 18 in game three with the Salukis. First pitch is scheduled for 1 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.