CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (April 9, 2022) -- The Loyola University Chicago softball team had the week off from games before traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on University of Northern Iowa. The Panthers are currently the No. 1 team in the Valley as they have a 6-1 conference record. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Ramblers hosted their first home series against the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Loyola was able to steal a game of this series away from Evansville, resulting in a 1-2 weekend at the Loyola Softball Park. 

POUNCING ON THE PANTHERS
Northern Iowa is currently at the top of the Valley as the Preseason Poll predicted. They faced Southern Illinois, Evansville and Missouri State so far, securing more wins than losses against all of these teams. The Panthers even grabbed a win against Iowa State, who received votes in the most recent NFCA Poll. 

UNI is one of the top teams in the nation when it comes to home runs. It is currently ranked 29th in the NCAA in home runs per game with a 1.27 average. Emmy Wells is leading the charge in this category as she is 21st in the NCAA individually with .38 per game. 

The Panthers also have a strong pitching staff, which ranks highly for their ERA. They are currently 49th in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Valley with a 2.18. Their pitcher with the lowest ERA is Kailyn Packard, who has an impressive 1.51 ERA to go with 94 strikeouts. 

Freshman outfielder Mya Dodge has made an immediate impact since stepping on the field for the Panthers. She has the highest batting average on the team with a .374, accumulating eight home runs in that time along with 19 RBI's. Two other Panthers have above a .300 batting average. In the field, they have a .956 fielding percentage, which is lower than their opponents' .972.

WHEREABOUTS
The Ramblers will face off in their first game of this series at 1:30 p.m. today at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex in Cedar Falls. A second game will follow today's series while tomorrow's game will begin at 12 p.m. All three games will be shown on ESPN3.