Northern Iowa and Iowa are the most perfect example of why college softball rocks. You never know what the heck is going to happen!
Take the bottom of the fourth inning, for example.
The college softball run rule was just five outs from going into effect when everything changed. A grand slam and a few home runs flipped the game on its head.
Iowa held on to beat Northern Iowa.
The Hawkeyes traveled approximately 90 miles northwest to face the Panthers in Cedar Falls on Wednesday night. Both programs are fairly even in terms of overall record this season. It was one of those weird matchups where the “bigger” program actually traveled to the “smaller” program.
Of course, they play in different conferences on different levels of competition… but still. They are fairly equal. And if there is a sport where anything can happen on any given night, it is college softball. Especially during midweek games.
The “bigger” programs typically put their second- or even third-best starter in the circle. The “smaller” programs typically go all out.
Wednesday was somewhere in between. Iowa started Avery Sapp, who has made the second-most appearances in 2026. Northern Iowa went to the bullpen.
The first three innings went more or less as expected. The home team jumped out to a commanding 17-1 lead after three and a half innings and ultimately held on to win by a final score of 21-17.
But how fast did that score flip? Just wait until you see!
College softball is unpredictable.
The Panthers trailed the Hawkeyes 17-1 as the first batter stepped into the box to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. They proceeded to score 15 runs!
And get this… Northern Iowa immediately recorded the first two outs of the inning on a fly out to shortstop and a strikeout. It trailed by 16 runs with two outs and no one on base. It was going to lose on the college softball the mercy rule if it did not get within eight runs before the end of the fifth inning.
That is when chaos ensued! The bottom of the fourth inning took so long that the sun went down!
- Single
- Single
- Single — RBI
- Single
- Grand Slam !! — 4 RBI
- Single
- Reach base on fielding error
- Home run — 3 RBI
- Home run — 1 RBI
- Walk
- Hit by pitch
- Walk
- Walk — 1 RBI
- Single — 2 RBI
- Home run — 3 RBI
- Reach base on fielding error
- Single
- Strikeout
- ~ INNING OVER ~
The grand slam was awesome.
The three-run shot was even better.
Northern Iowa was right back in the game just like that. It trailed by only one after scoring 15 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Unfortunately, it could not complete the comeback. Iowa won by four.