CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI Panthers rallied to beat the Drake softball team, 5-2, Tuesday night in Missouri Valley Conference action at Robinson Dresser Field in Cedar Falls.
 
Drake (23-25, 6-15 MVC) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a RBI single by sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) and a RBI groundout by junior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.). To start the inning, freshman leadoff hitter Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) dropped a perfect bunt in front of UNI (27-17, 15-6 MVC) pitcher Alyssa Buchanan whose throw sailed over the head of her covering second baseman as Roemmich took second base. Senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) followed with a double in the gap that plated Roemmich and Smith was narrowly called out on her run scoring groundout that scored Sowa.
 
The Panthers cut the Bulldogs' lead to 2-1 in the bottom half of the third inning and then scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth inning to complete the series sweep.
 
Pena, Roemmich and Sowa each had one hit for Drake. Sowa has 200 hits in her career, which ranks fifth all-time, and she now ranks fourth all-time in career doubles with 39. Smith took the loss as her record dropped to 14-16. She allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings with two walks and one strikeout.
 
Drake continues its road trip on Saturday with a doubleheader at Missouri State. First pitch of game one will be at 12 p.m. and both games will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.