UNI softball (18-8 / 6-0 MVC) vs. Bradley (14-17 / 4-3 MVC)
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- March 28 | 2 & 5 p.m. CT
- March 29 | 2 p.m. CT
- ESPN+
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI softball team opens home play at Robinson Dresser Sports Complex with a three-game series against the Bradley Braves. Due to weather, the formerly three-day series has become a Friday, March 28 doubleheader followed by a third game on Saturday, March 29.
The Panthers and the Braves have met on 106 previous occasions with UNI holding a 66-40 record in the all-time series. The last time these teams met Bradley picked up two victories in the three-game series. The Braves won by scores of 6-0 and 3-2 in games one and two before the Panthers took home a victory in game three, 5-4.
The Panthers are coming off an eight-inning, comeback victory over Illinois on Tuesday. The 7-6 victory saw the Panthers fall behind 0-2 early before taking the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Illinois tied the matchup in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extras before the Cats took the lead on an RBI single from Ava Smithson. A 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth secured the Panther victory. Both Kate Lappe and Savanna Jemilo recorded multi-hit performances with two hits each. Lappe recorded two hits and one run in four at-bats while Jemilo finished with two hits and two runs in two at-bats. She finished with a game-high three RBIs and two extra-base hits.
Morgan Vertz picked up her fifth win of the season with two innings in the circle in relief. The trio of Vertz, Anna Wischnowski, and Carly Goodwin combined for five strikeouts with Wischnowski posting four punchouts.
Head coach Ryan Jacobs became UNI’s all-time winningest coach with a 7-6, eight-inning, comeback win at Illinois on Tuesday. Jacobs is in his 18th season at the Panther helm. UNI’s victory over RV Omaha in game five of the 2025 Doc Halverson Classic was Jacobs’ 500th victory. He became the eighth head coach in MVC history and the second in UNI history to eclipse the 500-win mark.
As of March 26, the Panthers led the MVC in a number of statistical categories including home runs (37), home runs per game (1.42), on-base percentage (.391), RBIs per game (5.38), scoring (5.92), slugging percentage (.477), stolen bases per game (2.46), total stolen bases (64), and walks (124). UNI is second in double plays per game (0.42) and win/loss percentage (.692) and third in batting average (.274), double plays (11), doubles per game (1.19), fewest hit by pitch (15), RBIs (140), shutouts (3), and runs (154). The Panthers’ 2.46 stolen bases per game are 11th in the nation and their 1.42 home runs per game are 19th.
Kylee Sanders is sixth in the nation with an MVCleading 2.76 assists per game. The senior also leads the league in batting average (.450) and on-base percentage (.546) and is third in assists (69) and stolen bases (9).
Skylar Benesh leads the league on the base path with a .867 stolen base percentage, 13 total stolen bases, and 0.50 stolen bases per game. She is fourth in the Valley with 0.65 walks per game.
Anna Wischnowski has been one of the top pitchers in the league this season and is third in the MVC in complete games (8), shutouts (2), and victories (9).
Addison McElrath is second in the MVC with 0.31 home runs per game and is third with eight total home runs.
UNI is looking for its sixth straight season (excluding COVID-19 2020 season) at .500 or better in conference play as well as top three in the league. After the weekend at UIC, the Panthers have won 108 conference matchups in that span to just 26 MVC losses. Coach Jacobs is 15 conference victories away from moving up to no. 5 on the Valley’s all-time MVC wins chart which is now occupied by Brent Vigness (CU, 1994-2013) with 282 Valley victories.
UNI softball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Softball), X (@UNISoftball), and on Instagram (@unisoftball). The 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
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