When Northwestern needed its bats to keep it in the game against Indiana, the Wildcats’ offense failed to respond.
The Cats (18-24, 6-9) suffered from the ill-timed power outages, dropping two of three games to the Hoosiers (23-22, 7-8) in Bloomington, Ind.
NU split the first two games for the fourth consecutive Big Ten series, but since showing impressive poise by winning rubber matches against Wisconsin and Iowa, the Cats have lost their last two series deciders. Freshman second baseman Anna Edwards said the team was disappointed by its erratic play.
“We showed that we can beat anybody, but it has to be consistent,” she said. “We know how to do it. We just need to do it every day.”
NU began the Indiana series on a poor note, squandering an early five-run lead in an 8-6 loss. After pounding pitcher Meaghan Murphy in the opening frame, the Cats offense quieted down, failing to score in the final three innings.
The Cats returned the next day firing on all cylinders. Locked in a 2-2 tie in the fourth, Edwards hit a critical three-run homer. NU controlled the game from there, dismissing the Hoosiers 8-3. Edwards credited the hit for breaking her out of a recent slump.
“I feel like I’m seeing the ball better and getting my confidence back,” she said.
Freshman pitcher Amy Letourneau was sharp in relief, and though the self-proclaimed strikeout pitcher fanned just one batter, she also allowed just one run in four innings of work. Letourneau helped her own cause, adding two RBIs in the winning effort.
Coach Kate Drohan was pleased with the outburst but noted how it failed to carry over to the rubber match.
“Our freshmen really got us going,” she said. “That was nice to see, but we couldn’t continue it into the second game.”
Letourneau started the rubber match and was spotted a run in the first inning when sophomore third baseman Marisa Bast tallied the 50th RBI of her season, knocking in junior shortstop Emily Allard. In a miniature of her performance this year, though, Letourneau struggled to find the zone, yielding five walks and six runs in three innings.
The NU bats sputtered against Murphy once again, and Indiana run-ruled the Cats when shortstop Shelby Gogreve hit a two-RBI double, sealing the 11-3 win. After posting seven extra-base hits in the second game of the series, NU mustered just seven hits overall in the rubber match.
“In the first game, we took advantage of the opportunities we were given,” Letourneau said. “We just lost track of what we were doing in the second game.”
Though Letourneau excelled in the NU victory, both junior Meghan Lamberth and sophomore Sammy Albanese struggled in the circle throughout the weekend. When Letourneau struggled in the decisive loss, Lamberth and Albanese combined to give up five runs in two and two-thirds innings.
The Cats play a different schedule arrangement this week, with Tuesday and Wednesday road games against Loyola Chicago and Northern Illinois. These matchups will lead NU into an important weekend home series against Ohio State, which is half a game ahead of NU in the Big Ten standings.
“There are two midweek games, and we’re just looking to attack our opponents and bring it to Ohio State this weekend,” Letourneau said.
