University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Belmont
Panther softball hosts MVC’s top team in Belmont
4/23/2026 4:08:00 PM | Softball
UNI softball (22-20 / 10-8 MVC) vs. Belmont (33-10 / 19-4 MVC)
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- April 24 | 2:30 & 5:00 p.m. CT
- April 25 | 1:00 p.m. CT
- ESPN+
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Panthers face off with the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference when Belmont comes to town on Friday, April 24. The Bruins and the Panthers are tied at three games apiece in the all-time series. Belmont took the last meeting between the two teams in the MVC Tournament semifinals last season by a 7-5 score. The last regular-season series between the two teams took place in 2024, when UNI secured a 2-1 series victory at Belmont.
UNI is coming off a high-octane matchup at Robinson-Dresser on Wednesday against the Hawkeyes. The Panthers began the day by retiring the jersey of former UNI pitcher Patty Stockman, followed by a 21-17 thriller against the Hawkeyes, including 15 runs from the Cats in one inning. The Panthers fell short of the comeback and dropped their final non-conference test of the season. 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.
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.
UNI set the program's single-season record for home runs with a pair against the Salukis. The Panthers then hit five home runs in a midweek matchup with Iowa to break the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record for home runs. Illinois State's 83 home runs have stood since 2007, but fell when UNI hit its 84th off the bat of Sykora Smith in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Hawkeyes. The Panthers sit with 85 home runs on the season.
As of April 23, UNI leads the MVC in multiple statistical categories, including batting average (.333), hits (393), home runs (85), home runs per game (2.02), on-base percentage (.449), RBIs per game (7.64), total RBIs (321), scoring (8.12), slugging percentage (.619), total runs (341), total sacrifice flies (13), and walks (239). The Cats have the third-most walks in the nation, while ranking sixth in home runs per game, seventh in RBIs per game, eighth in total home runs and scoring, 10th in on-base percentage, 11th in slugging percentage, and 15th in total runs and total RBIs. The Cats are second in the league in double plays (14), double plays per game (0.33), doubles (68), doubles per game (1.62), and fewest hit batters (14).
Individually, Kate Lappe has drawn the nation's fourth-most walks per game this season with 1.05, which leads the Valley. The senior has the 10th-best on-base percentage (.580) and 17th-best slugging percentage (.959) in Division I. Lappe also leads the MVC with 17 home runs, and is second with 0.40 home runs per game, 1.14 RBIs per game, 1.14 runs per game, and 118 total bases.
Skylar Benesh leads the Valley with 68 hits, 57 runs, 1.36 runs per game, and 123 total bases. The sophomore is 14th in the nation in runs per game, 19th in hits, and 20th in total runs. Benesh is second in the Valley with a .463 batting average, .547 on-base percentage, and an .837 slugging percentage.
Brynn Acton is tied with Kate Lappe with a UNI and league-leading 17 home runs. The freshman DP leads the Valley with 0.43 home runs per game, 53 RBIs, and 1.33 RBIs per game. Her home runs per game are the 14th-most in Division I.
The Cats are seven runs away from the UNI single-season record, set in 2023. Five walks and 62 hits would tie the Panther softball program's single-season records, set in 2025 and 1997, respectively.
Individually, Skylar Benesh is one run away from tying the UNI single-season record set by Sammey Bunch in 2021 at 58. The sophomore is 15 hits away from the single-season hits record, which is currently held by Lindsay Wood, who recorded 83 hits in 2002.
With two victories against the Redbirds earlier this season, 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 290 MVC victories after a series against Drake.
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 the Panthers broke three team records, including home runs (79), walks (244), and stolen bases (94). UNI was ninth in the nation last season with 1.58 home runs per game, 10th with 244 total walks, and 22nd with 94 total stolen bases.
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 Valley series against SIU, the Panthers have won 131 conference matchups in that span to just 42 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.
