The Northern Iowa Softball team took one game in a three-game series versus Murray State last weekend. The Panthers took game one of the series on Friday, defeating the Racers 13-5 in five innings. Katelyn Callahan started an eight-run second inning, homering to left field.
Leading 3-0, Drew Hinrichs connected on a bases-clearing double to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead. Later in the inning, Kate Lappe continued the scoring party with a home run to left field, making it 8-0 Panthers. The Racers showed great fight with a five-run fourth inning to cut the lead to 9-5. The Panthers put up a four spot in the bottom of the fifth inning. The run rule came into effect giving them the victory. Anna Wischnowski earned the victory on the mound for the Panthers, pitching four innings and only allowing two earned runs.
In game two, the Panthers and Racers combined for 31 runs, the most in UNI softball history. Murray State pulled away towards the end, winning 16-15. The Racers got a hot start with a three-run home run in the first inning. They went into the top of the third leading 8-1. The Panthers came storming back in the bottom of the third inning. Kylee Sanders hit a three-run home run to cut the lead to four. After a sacrifice fly from Callahan, Ella Smithson hit a three-run home run to tie the game at eight runs apiece.
After a scoreless inning from the Panther defense, Sanders singled up the middle to give them their first lead at 9-8. An inning later Smithson extended the Panther lead to 10-8 with a solo shot to left field. The Racers responded with two stellar innings, putting up seven runs to take a 15-10 lead in the seventh. The Panthers never quit. Sanders singled to left field, scoring two runs to cut the lead. Later that inning, Addison McElrath doubled down the right-field line to tie the game at 15-15. In the eighth, the Racers re-took the lead on an RBI to center field. The Panthers couldn’t bring home the tying run in the bottom half, leading to a 16-15 race victory.
In game three, Murray State defeated UNI 8-6. The Panthers took an early lead in the second inning. Smithson drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first run. Paige Peterson followed it up with a sacrifice fly to extend the Panther lead to 2-0. Further along in the second inning, Skylar Benesh crushed a three-run home run to make it a 5-0 Panther lead. After the Racers scored two runs in the third inning, Callahan connected on a solo home run, making it 6-2 Panthers. The Racers kept chipping away at the lead making it only 6-5 Panthers in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, the Racers gained the lead at 8-6, which would end up being the final.
The Panthers fell to 23-12 on the season with a conference record of 11-5. The team is back in action at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16 versus Drake at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
