University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
22-20
Iowa
25-22
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 23 | 3 |
| Northern Iowa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 3 |
Panther softball breaks MVC single-season home run record against Iowa
4/22/2026 10:25:00 PM | Softball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI Panther softball team had an action-packed Wednesday night at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Panthers began the day by retiring the jersey of former UNI pitcher Patty Stockman. The Cats followed that up with a 21-17 thriller against the Hawkeyes, including 15 runs in one inning. The Panthers fell short of the comeback and dropped their final non-conference test of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Iowa bats got hot out of the gate, with 14 runs over the first three innings. The Hawkeyes scored three runs in the top of the first, three in the top of the second, and eight in the top of the third to take an early 14-0 lead.
The Cats got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with freshman Finley Netten's third home run of the season. The Hawkeyes answered with three more runs in the top of the fourth frame to take a 17-1 lead.
Down 16 runs, UNI's bats got moving, and with two outs on the board, the Panthers put up 15 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The 15 runs are the most in a single inning for UNI since the Panthers scored 16 in an inning against Illinois State in 2024.
The inning began with an RBI single from Netten to score Paige Peterson. Brynn Acton's third grand slam of the season at Robinson Dresser cleared the bases before Ava Smithson sent a long ball with a pair of Panthers on the base path. Ava Smithson's home run tied UNI for the Missouri Valley Conference single-season home runs record. The record was broken the very next at-bat as Sykora Smith stepped up and sent one deep to left for UNI's 84th home run of the year, passing Illinois State's 83 in 2007.
UNI continued its barrage of runs with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Skylar Benesh, before a two-run single from Brynn Acton on her second at-bat of the inning. A three- run home run from Kate Lappe followed to end UNI's scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Cats had come back from the grave and cut the deficit to one run after the fourth frame.
The Hawkeyes hit two home runs, one solo and one two-run, to extend their lead to 20-16 after the top of the fifth. They followed that up with a one-run single in the top of the sixth to take a five-run lead at 21-16.
UNI scored again in the bottom of the sixth frame, as Brynn Acton crossed home plate for the third time of the afternoon, but the Cats couldn't finish the comeback and fell 21-17 to Iowa.
BY THE NUMBERS
Kate Lappe finished with four hits and a pair of runs in the game against Iowa, including a three-run home run. She drove in three runs in the contest in five at-bats. Brynn Acton and Finley Netten led UNI with three runs apiece, while Skylar Benesh joined Lappe with two.
UP NEXT
The Panthers stay home to face the league's top team on Friday, April 24. The Belmont Bruins come to town for a three-game series, opening with a doubleheader on Friday. All three contests over the weekend are scheduled to air 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: Avery Sapp (6-5)
L: McDermott, Maddy (2-5)
Batting:
2B: Tory Bennett 1 ; Leah McAnally 1 ; Mariah Myers 1 ; Phoenyx Silva 1 ; McKenzie Leitgen 1
HR: Tory Bennett 1 ; McKenzie Leitgen 2
RBI: Devin Simon 1 ; Tory Bennett 2 ; Kiara Sipe 1 ; Nailyn Marshall 1 ; Leah McAnally 4 ; Mariah Myers 4 ; Kiyah Chavez 1 ; Phoenyx Silva 2 ; McKenzie Leitgen 5
Base Running:
RUNS: Devin Simon 2 ; Brianna Johnson 1 ; Tory Bennett 3 ; Kiara Sipe 2 ; Nailyn Marshall 1 ; Leah McAnally 1 ; Logan Currie 1 ; Mariah Myers 1 ; Kiyah Chavez 1 ; Phoenyx Silva 1 ; Breanna Caffery 1 ; Avery Jackson 1 ; McKenzie Leitgen 3 ; Devin Bowman 2
SB: Devin Simon 1 ; Avery Jackson 1
HBP: Kiara Sipe 1
Batting:
2B: Hinrichs, Drew 1
HR: Acton, Brynn 1 ; Lappe, Kate 1 ; Smithson, Ava 1 ; Smith, Sykora 1 ; Netten, Finley 1
RBI: Benesh, Skylar 1 ; Acton, Brynn 6 ; Lappe, Kate 3 ; Smithson, Ava 4 ; Smith, Sykora 1 ; Netten, Finley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Benesh, Skylar 2 ; Acton, Brynn 3 ; Lappe, Kate 2 ; Callahan, Katelyn 1 ; Smithson, Ava 1 ; Smith, Sykora 1 ; Johnson, Peyton 1 ; Peterson, Paige 1 ; Hinrichs, Drew 1 ; Applegate, Neela 1 ; Netten, Finley 3
HBP: Acton, Brynn 1 ; Hinrichs, Drew 1
