The UNI softball team played the University of Nebraska-Omaha Tuesday night. Pitcher Chelsea Ross pitched her fifth shutout of the season as the Panthers won, 8-0.

  The first three innings were a string of pitcher battles, as neither team recorded a run or a hit until the bottom of the fourth. Kristin Lock broke the spell as she doubled over left center and advanced to third off a Kennedy Bailey sacrifice bunt. Ross brought Lock in to score with a single to gain the first lead. Macey Wolfe then brought in Samantha Olsen, who pinch ran for Ross to score off a double to center field. Wolfe then scored from a Julia Hunter single. The inning ended with a 3-0 Panther lead.

  The Panther momentum continued as they scored three more runs in the fifth inning. Bailey bunted again. This time she scored Lock and Rikki Alcaraz. Wolfe added her second RBI of the game with another double over center field to bring Ross to score.

  The lead was 6-0 entering the sixth inning. Three Lady Maverick batters went up and out for another hit-less inning. The Panthers, on the other hand, were not done yet. Lock scored Micalla Rettinger on a single. The game ended with a Bailey single that scored Alcaraz for the 8-0 victory.

 The Panthers then traveled to Missouri to play the Tigers in a double-header for their last non-conference games. They lost the first game, 2-4.

   The Panthers gained the lead in the first inning. Rettinger reached second base off of a Missouri error that scored Caitlin Wnek. The Tigers answered back in the second inning with a sacrifice single to tie the game, 1-1.

  Alcaraz homered in the fourth inning to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Missouri managed a multi-run inning in the fifth. Missouri’s Fagan doubled to score two Tigers and scored the game winner off another double. The Panthers could not manage another run to lose the game, 2-4.

  Missouri gained the early lead of game two in the first inning, 1-0. The Panthers answered in the second inning. Bailey hit a single to score Lock and Varriano scored Ross and Bailey off a Missouri error. Missouri added a three run inning to take the lead, 4-3. Ross homered in the third to score Bailey and Alcaraz for the 6-4 lead.

   Wnek homered the next inning to score Olsen. Ross scored Alcaraz on a single.

The game was quiet until the bottom of the sixth when the Tigers scored six runs, including a grand slam to take the game, 10-9.

  The Panthers will come back home Saturday to play Illinois State at noon.