CEDAR FALLS – Clutch late game hitting a patience at the plate paid dividends for UNI softball on Wednesday night as the Panthers overcame a five-run deficit to knock off the Iowa Hawkeyes in a thrilling 6-5 win in the final home game of the 2024 season at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
Collecting just two hits in the first four innings of play, Northern Iowa flipped the switch in the fifth and sixth innings with a combined six walks, three hits, one home run, one hit batter and one wild pitch to complete its largest comeback victory of the season. The win also marks the first time in 37 years that the Panthers have notched consecutive wins over the Hawkeyes.
Following two innings of scoreless action and a lead off single for UNI by Madison Parks in the first, Iowa broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the third as Grace Banes reached base after being hit by a pitch and a Jena Young walk, setting up an RBI single to right-field by Sammy Diaz. One spot later in the order, Brylee Klosterman drove in Young on a single up the middle for a 2-0 Hawkeye lead. Iowa added two more runs after Devin Bowman loaded the bases with outs, lining up Skylinn Pogue to drive in Klosterman and Bowman on an infield single.
Anna Wischnowski entered the pitching circle in the top of the fourth inning, surrendering a one-out double to Banes, which set up a Young RBI single to left-field, stretching Iowa’s lead to 5-0. Despite a Kate Lappe infield single with two down in the bottom half of the fourth, the Panthers could not capitalize offensively.
After slowing the Hawkeyes’ momentum after a Bowman double to the right-field corner in the fifth, the Panthers would hold Iowa scoreless the rest of the game. UNI began the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back walks by Kylee Sanders and Taylor Hogan, followed by a third walk of Savanna Jemilo after an Ava Smithson fly out to center-field.
With the bases loaded and one out, Daryn Lamprecht drove home UNI’s first run of the game on a single through the left side of the infield to score Sanders. Madison Parks would draw Northern Iowa’s fourth walk of the inning to score Hogan, while Alexis Pupillo brought in a third Panther run after being hit by a pitch, cutting the Iowa lead to 5-3.
After shutting down the Hawkeyes in order in the top of the sixth, the UNI offense continued to roll as Sanders led off with a solo home run to center-field. Following back-to-back fly outs by Smithson and Jemilo and a walk by Hogan, Lamprecht smacked her second hit of the day into center-field with the ball taking a wild spin away from the outfielder to allow Hogan to score the tying run and advance Lamprecht to third on the RBI double. With Gretta Hartz pinch running at third base for Lamprecht, the Panthers grabbed the lead on a wild pitch to the backstop with Parks at bat, giving UNI the 6-5 advantage. Iowa would muster a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, but Northern Iowa’s pitching and defense would halt the Hawkeyes’ comeback in four batters.
UNI improves to 29-15 with the win, while the Hawkeyes drop to 16-26.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
UNI improves to 27-32 all-time against the Hawkeyes with Wednesday’s win.
Wednesday’s game marks the first time since 1985 and 1986 that the Panthers have recorded consecutive wins against Iowa. UNI defeated the Hawkeyes in the second game of a 1985 doubleheader and the first matchup of a 1986 doubleheader.
Northern Iowa’s five-run deficit marks its largest comeback win of the season. UNI’s previous largest comeback of the year came on April 14 after overcoming a three-run deficit for a 5-4 win at Bradley.
The Panthers improve to 2-0 against Big Ten Conference opponents this year. UNI previously defeated Illinois back on March 26 in Champaign, 9-0.
Anna Wischnowski improved to 13-6 after four innings of work with one earned run allowed.
Alexis Pupillo’s RBI from her hit by pitch in the fifth inning was her MVC-leading 50th RBI of the season, now tied for fifth-most in a single-season in school history with Sammey Bunch’s 2019 campaign.
Kylee Sanders’ sixth inning home run was her third of the season and 12th of her career. She also increases her season RBI total to 11.
Madison Parks’ fifth inning walk was her 43rd of the season, pulling her one walk shy of tying Kennedy Bailey’s 2016 single-season program record of 44.
Parks’ two-out triple in the sixth inning was her first triple of the year and third of her career.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will wrap up the 2024 regular season with a three-game weekend series at Valparaiso beginning Friday. Game one of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT at the Valpo Softball Complex with live coverage available on ESPN+.
