The Wildcats’ offense is predictable only in its unpredictability.
After scoring 24 total runs in wins over Indiana on Friday and Purdue on Sunday, NU produced only four runs Saturday in a 5-4 loss to Indiana and just one run in a shutout victory over Purdue in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.
“It takes some time to adjust (on offense),” freshman pitcher Eileen Canney said. “The adjusting time was just a little longer (in the low-scoring games).”
Coming into the weekend, the Cats (27-14, 10-6 Big Ten) were looking to sweep four more Big Ten games and extend their six-game winning streak.
Indiana (28-27, 4-10) and Purdue (28-22, 3-11) were conference cellar-dwellers, and four wins would have helped NU in its ascent up the conference standings.
“I’m disappointed with 3-1,” NU coach Kate Drohan said.
The Cats struggled most on defense in the loss against Indiana on Saturday.
In the bottom of the sixth, with a 4-1 lead and two runners on, NU sophomore pitcher Courtnay Foster threw a wild pitch in the dirt, allowing Indiana catcher Tory Yamaguchi to score from third.
NU catcher J.C. Kira retrieved the ball and airmailed it over Foster’s head at home plate, allowing Indiana right fielder Lauren Hines to score all the way from second base.
In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and two runners on, NU center fielder Sheila McCorkle charged toward a line drive by Yamaguchi, and the ball went sailing over her head. The hit plated both Indiana runners, and the Hoosiers walked away with a thrilling victory after playing from behind all afternoon.
“Allowing them to score two runs on a passed ball kills you,” Drohan said. “It’s just a tough way to end a game.”
The defense bounced back in the doubleheader against Purdue, committing only three errors total.
“We were pretty sharp defensively,” Drohan said. “With these Big Ten games, basically you show up, and it’s whoever outworks the other team and who works harder, and I think we worked a little harder today.”
Pitching once again was the Cats’ strength. Aside from a hiccup against Indiana on Saturday, Canney (15-2) and Foster (12-12) allowed only four runs all weekend.
In an effort to pick up her team after the heartbreaking loss to Indiana, Canney pitched her eighth shutout of the season Sunday.
“We all just needed to play our best game,” she said. “We shouldn’t have lost that game, so we just wanted to make up for that.”
The first game of Sunday’s doubleheader provided an enticing duel between Canney and another freshman Big Ten standout, Purdue’s Brooke Baker.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was going to do everything my hardest to keep our team in it as long as possible,” Canney said.
Baker suffered the loss after surrendering the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh on senior second baseman Carri Leto’s walk-off single.
“Coming into the at-bat, I knew I was going to be aggressive on the first pitch even though the bases were loaded,” Leto said. “She was getting ahead of me with the first pitch in my last three at-bats. I just got up close to the plate, threw my hands at the ball, and it worked.”
The Cats had their winning streak snapped over the weekend and did not accomplish their goal of winning four games, but Drohan said a sweep of Purdue puts the team back on a roll.
“We outlasted Purdue today, ” she said. “We were a little bit tougher, we made adjustments better and we were a little more aggressive.”
