The Wildcats are in a do-or-die situation.
The last time two Big Ten opponents visited Evanston over a weekend, the Northwestern softball team earned only a split. And after the Cats dropped both games of a doubleheader to Illinois last Friday, they fell to eighth place in the Big Ten standings.
With only the conference’s top six teams qualifying for the Big Ten tournament, NU (15-17, 4-6 Big Ten) is looking to win at least three of its four games at home against Indiana (13-28, 3-9) and Purdue (27-18-1, 4-8) this weekend, Cats coach Sharon Drysdale said.
Indiana is currently 11th in the conference, while Purdue is ninth.
“It would be nice if we could sweep both games,” Drysdale said. “On paper, Indiana and Purdue are easier to beat (than other Big Ten opponents), but you never know how you’ll stack up and how a team will play on a particular day. These games are important to stay in the race.”
To find success against the Hoosiers, Drysdale said, the Cats need to keep Indiana’s leadoff hitters off the bases. Drysdale also said NU pitchers Brie Brown and Lauren Schwendimann must limit walks and scatter Indiana’s hits.
By allowing leadoff hitters to connect in recent games, Drysdale said, the Cats have fallen into high-pressure situations.
NU’s defense will also have added motivation to step up this weekend, after Brown injured her shoulder Wednesday against Loyola.
Drysdale isn’t sure if Brown will play an entire game, but she isn’t worried – third baseman Gretchen Barnes can fill in on the mound. Barnes relieved Brown in the sixth inning against Loyola on Wednesday and pitched two shutout innings.
In addition to strong defense, however, the Cats need their bats in full swing this weekend.
“It’ll come down to our bats,” Drysdale said. “We need consistency throughout the lineup.”
After shuffling the order against Loyola, Drysdale has been pleased with her team’s work behind the plate. She’s moved freshman Carri Leto to fourth in the order, while putting sophomore Brett Nakabayashi in the leadoff slot.
Against Loyola, Leto tallied four hits and seven RBIs in the cleanup spot, while Nakabayashi got on base six times. For Leto, who has been a leadoff hitter her entire career, the shift in the order was no added pressure. Either way, Leto said, she has an important role.
“I like to come through in the clutch,” Leto said. “When I’m leadoff, I feel a lot of pressure because what I do can set the tone. In the four spot, I feel like I have to come through.”
Nakabayashi now has the pressure of pacing the Cats.
“There’s some pressure with (leading off),” she said, “but everybody has their certain roles.”
With power-hitter Alyson Schulz questionable for the weekend’s games with a bruised right hand, Drysdale said she would like to see back-to-back hits with runners on base and less than two outs.
NU showed improvement in those areas against Loyola, and Leto said the Cats have come to realize these are must-win games if they are to advance the Big Ten tournament.
“All we can do is take it one pitch at a time and one game at a time,” Drysdale said. “We have to consistently focus and battle through the entire game. Every pitch, every inning is important, and we have to go out and get it.”
