BOWLING GREEN, KY.—Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) and Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) were the only Huskies to record a hit in both games as the Northern Illinois University Huskie softball program (3-9) fell to Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois this afternoon.
 
Shumaker was credited with a stolen base in the third inning against SIU. With that stolen base, Shumaker has 54 career stolen bases as a Huskie, fourth in the Huskie record book. . 
 
"We were able to get some runs on the board early in the second game and then SIU answered back with a series of runs," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "The teams that are here this weekend have great records and we know they are going to provide us with tough competition every inning. Our plan for the rest of the weekend is to go back to the basics, play our game, and do what we need to do."
 
Western Kentucky Recap (WKU 5, NIU 1)
 
Shumaker gave the Huskies their first hit of the game, a triple to right field in the first inning. The next two batters for the Huskies struck out, leaving Shumaker stranded on base.
 
WKU got their first hit in the second inning, leaving two stranded on base as the Huskies and WKU had a pitching battle in the third and fourth innings.
 
WKU got the first run of the day in the fifth inning, scoring on an RBI single. WKU added four runs on two hits and a Huskie error in the sixth to extend their lead to five.
 
Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) put the Huskies on the board in the seventh, as Stewart hit an RBI double to left-center field.
 
"Dee Dee (Stewart) had a great game for us against WKU. She was able to hold a talented WKU to just one hit going into the fifth inning," noted Sutcliffe.
 
Stewart  had two strikeouts in five innings of action.
 
Southern Illinois Recap (SIU 12, NIU 3; 5 innings)
 
The first four batters for NIU each recorded a hit as the Huskies pushed three runs across to start action against Southern Illinois. Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo), Shumaker, and Kiley Conner (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) scored for the Huskies.
 
SIU matched the Huskies opening three runs in the first inning and added a two-run home run in the second inning to take a 5-3 lead over NIU.
 
The Salukis added a pair of runs in the fourth before hitting a grand slam to take an 11-3 lead over NIU.
 
SIU hit three home runs in the game, accounting for seven of their total runs.
 
Emily Dato (Munster, Ind./Munster) recorded the two strikeouts for the Huskies as she saw action in two innings.
 
Huskie Notes
 
With her hits against WKU and SIU, Shumaker has recorded a hit in the Huskies last six games. Shumaker has recorded a hit in all but four games for NIU this season.
 
Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) recorded her second consecutive game with hit for NIU after recording a single in the top of the sixth against WKU.
 
NIU is the only team to play four consecutive games at the WKU tournament. The Huskies played the final two games on March 2 and will play the first two games on March 3.
 
The Huskies conclude action at the WKU Hilltopper Spring Fling on March 3. The Huskies open action against Dayton at 10 a.m. before taking on Western Kentucky at 12:30 p.m.