All of last week, Northwestern focused on its matchup with Ohio State, looking to improve the course of its season. After the Wildcats lost the Saturday opener, their hopes of a series win met rough waters.
The next day, NU (21-26, Big Ten 8-10) salvaged its weekend with two key wins against the Buckeyes. Facing another tough week, junior shortstop Emily Allard said the Cats need to keep their play on an even keel, beginning at DePaul on Wednesday.
“Winning those games showed us the standard we’ve set for the rest of the season,” she said.
Just over three weeks ago, NU’s season appeared to be trending upwards as a result of series wins against Wisconsin and Iowa. This success proved fleeting, however, as the Cats dropped two of three games to both Minnesota and Indiana.
It took a pair of special efforts Sunday for the Cats to regain their confidence. In the second game of the Ohio State series, a 3-1 victory, junior Meghan Lamberth tossed a complete game gem and senior first baseman Adrienne Monka launched a home run onto the roof of Welsh-Ryan Arena. The strong effort from inside the circle and the batter’s box carried over to the back end of the doubleheader, as NU cruised to an 8-5 win.
Monka was named Big Ten Player of the Week, and on top of Monka’s individual efforts, coach Kate Drohan praised the “fundamental and aggressive” style the entire team played with on Sunday.
“Essentially, winning is fun,” Drohan said. “We’re breaking it down and trying to keep it as simple as possible.”
NU’s pitching staff slumped going into the weekend, and the rotation finally received stability from Lamberth, who said she was able to take command of the game by effectively mixing her pitches.
“I was trying to get ahead of batters, keeping them guessing and not letting them know what I was going to throw next,” she said.
Sammy Albanese also contributed positively in the rubber match. Despite her command issues, the sophomore scattered five hits and four runs over six innings for her third win of the season.
Last week, Allard discussed the coaching staff’s efforts to stage fun activities – including a batting practice with fruits and vegetables – to improve the team’s overall attitude. She said it proved beneficial, but, of course, the Cats needed to execute.
“The coaches can tell us whatever they want,” she said, “but at the end of the day, it comes from the team. We let the past go, went out on Sunday, and did what we were capable of.”
For the second straight week, NU will engage in midweek non-conference action, this time against the Blue Demons (31-18) in Chicago. DePaul boasts elite pitcher Kirsten Verdun, who has posted a 22-11 record with a 1.73 ERA. This past week, she struck out 27 batters in a doubleheader against Syracuse, and in the process earned Big East Pitcher of the Week honors. If Verdun is chosen to pitch on Wednesday, the NU bats can expect to be tested.
Last year, the Cats narrowly defeated DePaul 6-5 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Drohan said she looked forward to the challenge before NU resumes conference play at Michigan State on Saturday.
“It’s about us focusing on Northwestern and the kind of softball we want to play,” she said. “Our games with DePaul are always tough. They’re spirited and I think the timing of this opportunity couldn’t be better.”
