Softball falls in series finale
UNI finishes with series sweep
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second game in a row, the University of Evansville softball team staged a late rally, but Northern Iowa fended off the challenge to take a 12-9 win over the Purple Aces at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
Evansville rallied twice in the late innings, however, a grand slam in the sixth lifted UNI to the win. UE finished the day with 10 hits as Niki Bode went 3-4 with three runs and two RBI. Jess Willsey was 2-5 with a home run.
Picking up four walks in the top of the first, UNI took the early 1-0 lead. It did not take long for the Purple Aces to respond as they scored three runs to take the lead. Taylor Howe and Niki Bode each singled while Jess Willsey reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Eliza Piggott brought in the first run of the game on a ground out before a 2-run double by Brooke Voss made it a 3-1 game.
UNI bounced back to retake a 7-3 lead in the second frame as Drew Hinrichs hit a 3-run home run and Katelyn Callahan added a 2-run shot both with two outs. Willsey got UE a run closer with a solo home run in the third and the Aces looked to get closer as two runners reached with two outs in the fourth before the Panthers got out of the inning unscathed. Northern Iowa hit its third homer of the game when a solo shot pushed the lead to 8-4 in the fifth.
Bode and Willsey led off with singles in the fifth before Voss reached on a 1-out walk to load the bases for Miriah Powell. Powell reached on a single off the pitcher to bring in Bode to make it an 8-5 game. Unfortunately, Northern Iowa belted a grand slam in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Despite the deficit, UE continued to battle as Bode add an RBI double while Eliza Piggott hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-run game. In the seventh, Morgan Adams and Bode had RBIs as UE looked to rally once again, but UNI hung on to take the 12-9 win. Anna Wischnowski tossed a complete game for the Panthers on the way to her 7th win of the season. Elle Jarrett took the loss allowing five runs, two earned, in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Up next for UE is a 3-game series at Missouri State next weekend.
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