The UNI softball team had a busy weekend as they played three games against Southern Illinois. The Panthers hosted the Redbirds for a double header Saturday, winning both games. The first duel ended with an 8-0 win and the second with a 9-1 Panther victory. The Panthers won again on Sunday 8-0.
UNI struck first in the first inning with a Rikki Alcaraz single to give Micalla Rettinger an early run. Julia Hunter soloed a home run to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead after two innings. Macey Wolfe came in two innings later to add a solo homer of her own.
The fifth inning gave UNI four runs, but it was all grinding with no big plays. Two straight walks gave Kristin Lock an easy run. A wild pitch gave Kennedy Bailey a stolen run. And two singles made room for both Michaela Martin and Wolfe to score. The long inning ended with a 7-0 Panther lead. Rikki Alcaraz added a solo home run the next inning to make the score 8-0.
Alcaraz and Bailey were the big hitters for the Panthers as they both hit over .300.
The Panthers used the momentum from the first game earning five runs. Lock started off the inning with a single and was brought home by Wolfe. Both Hunter and Caitlin Wnek brought in two runs each to end the inning. Alcaraz added another solo homer the next inning to have a 6-0 lead. The fifth and final inning consisted of Bailey, Lock, and Wolfe scoring again to end the game 9-1.
The third game was more of the same. Sunday’s first inning was a score-fest for the Panthers. Lock started the game with a solo homer and Rettinger scored shortly afterwards. Hunter hit a home run of her own bringing in 4 RBI’s. Wnek hit a single to allow Martin to score.
No one scored again until the fifth inning when Wnek brought Samantha Olsen in on a single. The game ended with an 8-0 Panther victory.
The largest impact of the weekend was pitcher Chelsea Ross. She recorded her second no-hitter during the first game on Saturday. Ross also struck out 14 Redbird batters.
The Panthers will bring this momentum to their next game against at Iowa State on Wednesday, April 1.
