March 31, 2009

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team looks to extend its four-game winning streak when NIU travels to South Bend, Ind. to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Wednesday.

NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard couldn't have asked for a better to start to Mid-American Conference play. The Huskies have jumped out to a 4-0 start in MAC play for the first time since 2002 and improved to 9-17 on the season, winning a doubleheader with Akron on Friday and a doubleheader with Ohio on Saturday. It's the first four-game winning streak for NIU since 2008 when the Huskies won their first four games of the season. NIU has won five of its last six games, splitting a doubleheader with Valparaiso Wednesday.

Northern Illinois' bats came a live last week, scoring 15 runs in the two games with Ohio and seven in the doubleheader with Akron. As a team last week, the Huskies batted .257, well above their season average of .213, with 36 hits, including five double and for homeruns, and scoring 28 runs last week.

"It's always nice when you see different people step up," Chouinard said. "It was a good team effort. Obviously, we'd like to see a little more consistency from everybody, but having people step up when it matters is a real good sign for our offense."

NIU came from behind to defeat the Zips 4-3 in game two with a walk-off single by reigning MAC West Player of the Week Bailey Ouellette (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton). She went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in NIU's 3-2 victory in game one against Akron and 2-for-3 with an RBI in the second game with the Zips.

The pitching staff also turned in a solid week, limiting the opposition to 25 runs, 19 earned, on 39 hits and 15 walks and posted a 4.38 ERA. On the season, the Huskie pitching staff has a 6.27 ERA. Freshman Morgan Bittner (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) had the best week of her young career, allowing nine runs, four earned, on 17 hits in 21 innings for a 1.71 ERA. Those stats earned her MAC West Pitcher of the Week.

"The pitchers are continuing to do a really good job," she said. "Mixing Andrea [Colosimo] and Joreigh [Landers] in the second game is working out well. Morgan is setting the tone. It's important to shut teams down in the first inning. It's good for her and it's good for the offense."

First pitch for the Huskies and Irish is set for 4 p.m. CST. Fans can follow all the action live via Gametracker at www.niuhuskies.com.

-NIU-