Samantha Heyer picks up 20th, 21st wins; UNI Panthers MVC regular season softball champs

CEDAR FALLS — University of Northern Iowa redshirt junior Samantha Heyer won her 20th and 21st softball pitching wins of the season while helping the Panthers clinch the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title by way of sweeping the Valparaiso Beacons this past weekend at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.

During Friday’s 7-2 win over the Beacons, Heyer pitched a 2-hitter for her 20th win and 11th complete game of the season while striking out a career-high 17 batters.

With a subsequent 3-0 win in the nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader, the Panthers clinched at least a share of the MVC regular-season title before Missouri State was eliminated from contention with a conference loss this past weekend.

On Saturday, the 2019 Charles City graduate pitched four innings of 1-hit softball during a 9-0 win over the Beacons. Heyer is now 21-4 for the season with a 1.79 earned run average. She has struck out 239 batters this season, ranking her fourth in the nation among NCAA Division 1 softball pitchers — while only issuing 37 walks.

The Panthers have won 13 straight while improving to 34-11 overall and 23-1 in the MVC.

On Wednesday, UNI will travel to the Bob Pearl Softball Field in Iowa City to take on the University of Iowa softball team.

The Hawkeyes are 30-22 overall this season. Last season, they defeated the Panthers 3-2 in Cedar Falls.

— Press Staff Report