The UNI Panthers softball team hosted three games against the Wichita State Shockers this weekend. The Panthers came out of the weekend winning one of the three games.
The Panthers and Shockers split the doubleheader Friday. The Panthers won game one 4-3 and lost the second 4-1.
Neither team was able to score in the first game until the bottom of the third when UNI’s Caitlin Wnek hit a solo homer to gain the first lead.
The Panthers defense was lead by pitcher Chelsea Ross as they did not allow a hit until the top of the fourth inning.
The Panthers added to their lead with two more runs by Samantha Olson and Micalla Rettinger.
The Shockers finally got on the board with two runs from four hits in the fifth inning. The score was 4-2 heading to the seventh inning. The Shockers had one last chance to win but came out with only one run.
For the second game, the Panthers were able to gain the first lead in the second inning. Olson hit one out to left field to bring Julia Hunter home. The Shockers retaliated in the next inning with a Cacy Williams run. They gained a multi-run inning in the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits. Brittany Fortner hit a single bringing in Ashley Johnson. Fortner and Williams then scored shortly afterwards on a Mackenzie Wright single. The scores brought the Shockers a 4-1 lead that stuck during the next inning.
Both teams came back the next day to end the triple header. The Panthers fell in the third game 3-6.
Just like the first two games, the Panthers gained the first lead of Saturday’s game. Wnek scored in the first inning on a Kristin Lock single. The Shockers answered back to tie with a run in the second with another Wright run.
The Shockers gained the lead in the third with two more runs from Wright and Kelli Spring.
Hunter scored in the sixth to cut the deficit to 2-3, but the Shockers had other plans.
Another home run by Rikki Alcaraz, her fifth of the season, helped UNI. But an opposing three runs on four hits was too much for the Panthers as they were not able to come back in the seventh. The Panthers are now 13-19 on the season and 7-4 in the MVC.
The Panthers will travel to play to Columbia to play Missouri on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
