The Basics 
The Drake softball team hits the road for a short trip over to Cedar Falls to start their week with a doubleheader against in-state rival UNI on Monday. The original doubleheader was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, April 13 but due to forecasted weather the twin bill was bumped up a day.
  
Bulldogs by the Numbers 
Drake is coming off a conference series loss to Southern Illinois over the weekend, but the Bulldogs did snap a seven-game losing streak by taking the victory in the series finale. Drake has an overall record of 9-29 and is 3-14 in league play.
 
Junior Lydia Olejniczak delivered the go-ahead pinch-hit three-run home run against SIU on Saturday to help the Bulldogs erase a 6-2 deficit.
 
Freshman Kiley Kindelspire had a great performance at the plate in the series finale win over SIU leading the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4 showing collecting a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. Kindelspire currently ranks third on Drake in hitting (.302), second in home runs (5), and second in RBI (22).
 
Frankie Rita, who currently leads the Bulldogs in hitting with a batting average of .324, is riding a three-game hitting streak and has tallied at least one hit in five of the last six games.

Scouting UNI
The Panthers currently sit third in the MVC standings with a league record of 9-4 and an overall record of 21-15. UNI is coming off a series sweep of UIC in which it scored a total of 43 runs in three games. The Panthers provide an explosive offense and lead the MVC in runs scored with 296 and are averaging just over eight runs per game.
 
Two of the big bats in the UNI lineup come from Skylar Benesh and Kate Lappe. The duo currently rank first and third in the league in hitting with Benesh at .472 and Lappe at .442. Brynn Acton also provides production with 44 RBI and 14 home runs.
 
The Bradley pitching staff is mainly comprised with the trio of Ashlyn Enke, Morgan Vertz, and Anna Wischnowski. Wischnowski leads the team in appearances (18) and starts (14) with a record of 10-6 and an ERA of 4.07. In 87.2 innings of work, she has tallied 55 strikeouts compared to 37 walks while holding opponents to a .278 hitting clip.
 
The Panthers won the season series over the Bulldogs last year taking two of three contests, winning one game in Des Moines and splitting a doubleheader from Cedar Falls. Drake's win over UNI last year on April 16, 2025, ended a 14-game losing streak against the Panthers. Drake's last win over UNI prior to last year came on April 20, 2021. It also marked the first win in Cedar Falls for the Bulldogs since 2019.
 
Up Next 
Drake will host Valparaiso for a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, April 17 followed by a single game on Saturday, April 18. First pitch for game one on Friday is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. from Buel Field. Saturdays first pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.