CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Senior Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.) homered for the fourth time in the last five games and freshman Brianne Joseph (Post Falls, Idaho/Post Falls) went 4-for-7 at the plate, but Northern Iowa slugged out 21 hits and four home runs to sweep a doubleheader from Bradley by the scores of 7-3 and 8-3 Wednesday afternoon at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.

Singler had homered in three consecutive coming into the doubleheader, but was held hitless in the opening game of the twinbill.  She did smash her team-leading eighth home run in the top of the fourth of the nightcap, however, hitting a two-run opposite field shot as she moved into a tie for ninth in career home runs at Bradley with her 12th career dinger.

Junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) went 3-for-8 on the day to extend her hit streak to nine consecutive games and senior Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) collected a hit in each contest to push her hit streak to eight straight games.

In the opening game, Northern Iowa (27-23 overall, 11-10 MVC) loaded the bases before Bradley got an out and pushed across the first run of the game with a bases loaded walk.  The Panthers only scored one in the frame and left the bases loaded.

UNI used a four-run third inning to build a 5-0 lead.  Courtney Dunker hit a one-out solo homer and three consecutive hits led to another Panther run.  Livi Abney delivered the big hit in the inning with a two-run single up the middle to cap the four-run frame for Northern Iowa.

Abney drove in her third run of the game with a two-out, run-scoring single in the fifth and Rachel Gerking added a run-scoring single of her own in the sixth to push the UNI advantage to 7-0.

Bradley (10-37 overall, 3-16 MVC) left runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before finally breaking through in the top of the seventh.  Singler walked to lead off the inning and Sherman followed with a double.  Sophomore Heather Terry (Jones, Okla./Jones) walked to load the bases and Fairbairn drove in a pair of runs with a double to left center. 

Terry later scored on a wild pitch to cut the UNI lead to 7-3, but Jamie Fisher retired the next two batters to close out the victory for the Panthers.  Freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) suffered the loss for Bradley to fall to 2-7 on the year.

Mackenzie Daigh led off the nightcap with a solo home run for the UNI to spark a four-run first inning.  Eranne Daugherty drove in a run with a single and Whitney Plein hit the second home run of the frame with a two-run blast to center field to give the Panthers an early 4-0 lead.

Bradley scored two runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth to pull within a run at 4-3.  Fairbairn had a one-out single in the fourth and Singler followed with a two-run, opposite field home run to cut the Panther lead in half (4-2).  Joseph drove in another run in the fifth with a single to right to plate Sherman and cut the deficit to one run (4-3).

Northern Iowa answered with four runs in the bottom half of the fifth to put the game out of reach.  Olivia Aten followed a leadoff double with a two-run homer to put the Panthers in front 6-3 and Dunker later drove in a run with an infield single.  Daugherty drove in another run with a single to third base to push the UNI advantage to 8-3.

The Braves threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out; but Jaye Hutcheson got out of the jam without giving up a run to close out a complete game win for the Panthers.  Sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Camp (Limestone, Ill./Brimfield) suffered the loss in the circle for BU to drop to 4-13. 

Bradley continues a five-game road swing Friday and Saturday with a three-game series at Evansville.  The Braves and Purple Aces will play a single game at 8 p.m. Friday and a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday in Evansville, Ind.