College Softball: Bunch homers three times in six games for Northern Iowa

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Northern Iowa senior shortstop Sammey Bunch belted three home runs in six games for the Panthers in the UNI Dome Classic.

Bunch (Fatima High School) hit a solo home run in the second at-bat of the season Feb. 7, a 3-1 loss to Murray State. She followed that with a two-run homer Feb. 8, this time in a 7-2 win against Murray State.

Bunch's third home run was a three-run blast Sunday in a 7-6 win in eight innings against DePaul.

In six games during the tournament, Bunch finished with a .381 batting average (8-for-21) with two triples, six RBI and seven runs scored. She also had a stolen base and struck out just once in 23 plate appearances.

On Monday, Bunch was named the Missouri Valley Conference softball player of the week. It is the fifth time in her career she has received the honor.

Northern Iowa (3-3) is playing this weekend in the Hillenbrand Invitational at the University of Arizona.