Two weeks after the thunder and lightning cleared, the Northwestern softball team finally will get its second crack at Loyola-Chicago.
The two teams originally were scheduled for a doubleheader in Evanston on April 19, but the heavens had other plans and forced the Wildcats to sit out the afternoon. The Cats (23-20) will make up only one of the two games today against the Ramblers (21-17).
The contest should provide a nice break for NU after playing a large chunk of its Big Ten schedule in the last two weeks. The Cats played a four-game series on each of the last two weekends, taking on conference foes Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
And while the Cats played superbly for much of the stretch — they finished 6-2 to push their conference record to 11-5 and clinch a position in the Big Ten tournament — they also have come away nursing a number of injuries.
Because of injuries to starting catcher Gretchen Barnes and backup Alyson Schulz (a converted third baseman), NU has had to use outfielder Cyndi Muran behind the plate.
“People are doing a really good job of playing through injuries, with Alyson and (freshman pitcher Lauren) Schwendimann and everybody else,” centerfielder Erin Jancic said. “It’s one of those things that happens to everybody and I’m sure it’s happening to other teams. It’s just something you’ve got to get through and play on emotion and adrenaline.”
If the Cats are playing on emotion and adrenaline, they will need plenty of it. The game against Loyola opens a challenging week for NU. Thursday the team plays a doubleheader against DePaul — which advanced to the College World Series last year — before capping the regular season against Big Ten-leading Iowa this weekend.
“I think it’s unfortunate that we’re playing so many games right now with our team in the condition that it is,” coach Sharon Drysdale said. “We just have to do what’s best for our team on that day. And if it’s resting a pitcher or resting a catcher, then we do it.”
Still, the stern tests later this week will make today’s game that much more important, especially because the Cats need a win to forget Sunday’s 8-0 drubbing at the hands of Penn State.
NU played one of its poorer games of the season in the loss, which ended a five-game winning streak. But the stunned Cats think today’s matchup offers the perfect opportunity for redemption.
The numbers suggest the Cats have a pretty good chance of shutting down the Ramblers. Loyola has hit only .237 as a team this year, and despite having two superb position players — second baseman Yasmin Khan and catcher Susan Scott are both batting over .300 — the team as a whole has struggled to score runs.
But Loyola’s pitching staff has carried the Ramblers this season. Senior Erin Smith boasts a 1.62 ERA, and the Cats will have to put up runs against her to secure a win.
But above all, the Cats know they must play a solid game coming down the home stretch of their season — regardless of how Loyola performs.
“We need to play as a team and not worry about who’s on the field against us and try to improve,” Jancic said. “It doesn’t matter — Big Ten or not — we really need to have a good game today.”
