April 23, 2006
Box Score
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The University of Northern Iowa softball team dropped the final game of its series with Indiana State in heartbreaking fashion Sunday, losing a 1-0 decision to the Sycamores in the finale of the teams' weekend set at Price Field.
Monica Wright (Morrison, Ill./Morrison) sparkled for the Panthers, allowing one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings in the circle and matching her career high with seven strikeouts. The freshman ended up the hard-luck loser, however, when a ball went over the head of right fielder Stefaney Shalla (Kalona, Iowa/Mid-Prairie) for a triple that set up the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Margaret McQueen, running for Kelsey Anderson, who hit the triple, posted the game's lone run on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Alyssa Duncan to give Indiana State the win.
Darcy Wood (17-12) picked up the win, her second of the weekend series, by holding the Panthers scoreless on four hits over seven innings pitched.
Wright surrendered only a pair of hits through five innings as she held Indiana State scoreless, striking out seven Sycamore batters while issuing a single walk in that span. Her counterpart, Wood, held the Panthers to a single hit through five frames, striking out four.
UNI put together its best threat in the top of the seventh, when Stefaney Shalla (Kalona, Iowa/Mid-Prairie) led off with a single. Pinch hitter Mandy Kumamoto (Torrance, Calif./West) followed by dropping a single into right field to move Shalla into scoring position, but the Panthers were unable to bring a run across.
The Panthers tackle their final road contest of the season on Tuesday, traveling to Iowa City to take on Iowa in a single game at 5 p.m. Bradley then comes to Panther Park for the final game of its series with UNI at 4 p.m. Thursday, before the Panthers host a three-game weekend series with Illinois State.
NOTES
- Between the fifth inning of their second game against Bradley on Thursday and the fourth inning of Sunday's contest with Indiana State, the Panther pitching staff went 22 1/3 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. Monica Wright and Uju Ibekwe combined for 14 strikeouts during that stretch.
- Sunday's was the Panthers' fifth consecutive game to be decided by a single run. For the season, UNI is 2-12 in one-run contests.
