UNI softball sweeps Indiana St.

The Northern Iowa softball team improved its Missouri Valley Conference record to 4-0 after a three game sweep of the Indiana State Sycamores. On Saturday, the Panthers won both games of a doubleheader taking a 6-3 decision in the first game and earning a 1-0 victory in the second game. On Sunday, the Panthers concluded their three-game series sweep with a 10-4 decision.

In the series opener, Northern Iowa came back from an early 2-0 deficit to win by a score of 6-3. Indiana State opened the contest by scoring one run in the bottom of the first and second innings. Mackenzie Daigh and the Panthers had an answer for the early Sycamore lead in the top of the third inning when Daigh connected on a double to drive in UNI's first run of the game. In the bottom of the third, Indiana State plated a run of its own making the score 3-1.  In the fourth inning, the Panthers made their rally scoring three runs on three hits and a costly Indiana State error to seal the victory. UNI later received two insurance runs by way of a Jen Larsen RBI single and a Lindsay Callanan sacrifice fly to reach the 6-3 final score.

Following the third inning double, Daigh continued her success from the plate finishing 3-4 for the game. Larsen improved her season record in the Pitcher's circle to 9-2, throwing a complete game and allowing two earned runs. Larsen has been a dual threat for the Panthers all season with a .412 batting average, ranking her second best in the Missouri Valley Conference.

In the second game Saturday, Jaye Hutcheson and Melissa Tillett teamed up to ace out Indiana State's Sara Evans in a 1-0 extra innings victory. Both teams were held scoreless until the top of the ninth inning when Larsen hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Northern Iowa's leadoff hitter, Megan Machovec.

Hutcheson came in on relief for the Panthers to throw 6.2 innings of no-run baseball to secure the victory. With the win, Hutcheson moved to 3-1 on the season, and earned her first Missouri Valley Conference win of the year.

On Sunday, Northern Iowa concluded the three-game series sweep of Indiana State, winning 10-4. The Panthers thrived off Sycamore pitching collecting 14 hits for the game.  Six players for Northern Iowa had two hits, including Allison Galvin, Lindsay Callanan, Whitney Plein, Livi Abney, Jen Larsen and Megan Machovec.

Jen Larsen earned another victory from the pitcher's circle for the Panthers reaching her 10th win of the season. In the victory, Larsen gave up four earned runs on nine Indiana State hits. 

Northern Iowa looks for continued success in Missouri Valley Conference play next weekend as they have their first home games of the season against Illinois State. Game time on Friday is set for 2:00 p.m.  The Panthers will be back in action Saturday against Illinois State at the Robinson-Dresser Softball Complex with a 12:00 p.m. start time.