DEKALB, Ill. – Despite four home runs from four different Huskies, the Northern Illinois University softball team couldn't get past one rough inning in its 11-8 loss to visiting DePaul University in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon.

Katie Keller (Geneva, Ill./Geneva), Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/North Dakota), Sam Mallinder (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) all went yard for the Huskies, but DePaul responded with a nine-run sixth inning en route to its 21st win of the season.

"We knew DePaul was going to come back later in the game," Huskies head coach Christina Sutcliffe said. "Historically they've always done that in the past against us and they've done that to their opponents this year so their hitters are just too good not to make adjustments throughout the game. Unfortunately for us we weren't able to get off the field quick enough in that inning."

Keller had a solid day at the plate as she went 3 for 5 with two doubles, the home run and three RBI. She tied the game for the Huskies in the bottom of the first with her solo shot to center field, and then put NIU up 3-1 with an RBI double in the second. By the Huskies third home run of the game – Mallinder's two-run shot in the fourth inning – NIU was in command 6-1.

"It was nice to see how well we hit the ball," Sutcliffe said. "I told them after the game that we need to be that relaxed during conference games as well and we have the ability to do that every game but we've just unfortunately gotten into a funk lately and we just need to get that out of heads."

DePaul methodically worked its way back into the game when a solo home run from its leadoff hitter in the fifth slightly opened the gates. A three-run double, followed by a two-run single highlighted the Blue Demons' sixth inning which put them in control at 11-6. NIU responded with Erickson's solo shot to left in the seventh and Keller's RBI double, but the Huskies left two runners on – for a total of nine stranded in the game – to end the threat.

Junior Delaney Ostrowski (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo) took the loss in the pitcher's circle as she gave up six runs on four hits. DePaul's Erin Hocker earned her sixth win in relief as she tossed the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out a batter. Along with Keller, Bianca Barone (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) and Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) each had a pair of hits to lead the offense for NIU (11-22), which looks to rebound this weekend for a Saturday-Sunday series at Ohio University.

"They've got two pitchers so we know that's all we need to prepare for," Sutcliffe said. "We'll need to work on figuring those two out and their catcher is really good so we'll need to figure out how to do our game on the bases and we'll see what happens."

-NIU-