WATERLOO - The soundtrack of spring - pings of aluminum bats, dugout chatter and between-inning organ music - has officially been muted at Riverfront Stadium.

Saturday was the University of Northern Iowa baseball squad's last dance, a final whirl 'round the dance floor before silence.

Fortunately for the Panthers, Jason Summers was taking requests.

Summers' thunderous slam to deep centerfield in the bottom of the ninth inning provided a fitting final note in UNI history, serving as a game-winning, RBI single.

Northern Iowa came back to beat Bradley, 3-2, in the Panthers' final game ever after school officials decided to drop the program due to budget concerns earlier this year.

"We said we wanted to go out with a bang," said Summers, smiling. "We wanted this win very badly."

"To go out like we did, I don't think you could write it any better. It really put a stamp on things," said senior pitcher Zach Zirbel, his eyes red around the rims.

"It's very emotional right now," Zirbel added. "A lot of tears. Because that was the end right there - that was the end of UNI baseball."

This day, with its alumni farewells, time capsules and tears, was a wake no one really wanted to attend.

"There was a lot of pressure - like the weight of the world on your shoulders," said UNI head coach Rick Heller, who admitted afterward that he lost 14 pounds due to stress this spring.

"It's just sad to know that it's the last year for everybody," Brett Douglas, a senior from St. Charles, said recently. "We're not gonna have anything to come back to - no alumni games or anything.

"The whole year we haven't been playing for ourselves," Douglas added. "We've been playing for the hundreds of people that the entire team will probably never meet who donated money in an effort to save the program."

UNI baseball fans aren't alone in their misery. The nation's nasty recession has even inspired Ivy League schools like Penn to drop sports such as men's soccer. Waterloo native Bob Bowlsby, now the director of athletics at Stanford, oversees a department that slashed $1.8 million from its budget this year

Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, recently told The New York Times he expects as many as 130 college sports teams to be eliminated this year nationally.

Still, that fact did little to soften the blow for Panther backers this spring, especially on Saturday, when a few protest signs were present prior to the game. "PRES OF UNI Anti-baseball" read one placard.

"It's just a really sad day," said Brad Hart, a fan seated behind home plate. "Baseball's the number one sport, so for us to lose UNI baseball it's really tough.

"It's sad to see that these boys put their heart and soul out there," added the Cedar Falls resident, part of an announced crowd of 1,047, "and now they're losing that opportunity."

But the Panthers made the most of their opportunities Saturday, storming back from a sixth-inning, 2-0 deficit.

Centerfielder Levi Ferguson made a jaw-dropping, sliding catch to end a Braves threat in the top of the ninth. Then, with the bases loaded and no outs, Summers belted an 0-1 delivery deep to center, bringing the fans to their feet.

For the record, Summers and Cory Ege served as the finale's other stars, combining for three RBIs.

The stats, of course, will serve as a mere footnote to a 23-26 season and 7-15 Missouri Valley Conference campaign. The final run, scored by Levi Ferguson, will serve as the answer to a trivia question.

Of far more importance was the fact a memorable, 103-year run came to a close. And no one in attendance Saturday was ready to see it end.

"(President Benjamin) Allen and (athletic director Troy) Dannen, we didn't really have backing from them, and it's unfortunate," said Zirbel, a senior from Ventura. "To see it all go is really sad for the state of Iowa. It's just a terrible feeling."

There's talk of Washington (D.C.) lawyers, a possible lawsuit by baseball supporters and possible resucitation of the program.

But this felt like the end.

And it left a lump in a lot of throats.

"Reality really set in," said Heller. "When it was over, it hit me like a punch in the gut."

NOTES: Longtime University of Northern Iowa profesor emeritus Jack Wilkinson threw out Saturday's ceremonial first pitch. … Panther senior standout Deric Manrique, who was sidelined a few weeks ago due to an injured knee-cap, took the field as a starter in the top of the first inning, before promptly being replaced and receiving an ovation from the crowd.

Bradley ab r h bi N. Iowa ab r h bi

Fitzgerald,ss 5 0 0 0 Manrique,cf 0 0 0 0

Luttrell,rf 4 1 0 0 Ferguson,cf 4 1 1 0

Mitidiero,cf 4 0 2 1 Douglas,rf 3 0 0 0

Kimble,dh 5 0 1 0 Arp,ph 1 0 1 0

Sullivan,c 4 0 1 1 Bennett,lf 3 1 1 0

Kimball,lf 3 0 1 0 Summers,dh 3 0 1 1

Clayton,1b 3 0 0 0 Taliaferro,c 4 1 2 0

Fritz,2b 3 0 1 0 Johnson,1b 4 0 2 0

Colvin,3b 3 1 1 0 Ege,ss 3 0 2 2

Brennan,p 0 0 0 0 Schultz,2b 4 0 1 0

Altbach,p 0 0 0 0 Grgurich,3b 4 0 0 0

O'Rear,p 0 0 0 0

Rea,p 0 0 0 0

Zirbel,p 0 0 0 0

Fujiya,p 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 2 7 2 Totals 33 3 11 3

Bradley 001 001 000 - 2 7 1

Northern Iowa 000 001 011 - 3 11 0

E - Fitzgerald. DP - Bradley. LOB - Bradley 12, UNI 10.

2B - Mitidiero, Sullivan; Ferguson. SB - Bennett, Ege.

CS - Johnson. SH - Colvin. SF - Ege.

Pitching summary

Bradley IP H R ER BB SO

Brennan 6.1 5 1 1 3 7

Altbach(L,1-7)1.2 6 2 2 2 0

N. Iowa IP H R ER BB SO

O'Rear 2.0 1 0 0 2 2

Rea 3.2 4 2 2 4 5

Zirbel 2.1 1 0 0 0 3

Fujiya(W,1-4) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1

HBP - Summers (by Brennan). PB - Sullivan. WP - Rea 2.

T - 3:00. A - 1,047.