Northwestern traveled all the way to Fullerton, Calif., for the Louisville Slugger Invite, only to get rained out for four out of five games.

The Wildcats (11-4) were only able to play one of their games, a Saturday contest against UC Santa Barbara which ended in a 10-1, run-rule victory for NU.

The Cats were also slated to play Louisville (8-6) twice, Cal State Fullerton (11-7) and No. 5 UCLA (16-0). However, the teams couldn’t play their games or even extend the tournament to fit in rescheduling because of the weather. 

“We wanted to play all five games. We talked a lot this weekend about controlling what you can control, and unfortunately you can’t control the weather,” junior utility player Andrea DiPrima said. “When we did get opportunity we made the most of it.”

The Cats did make UCSB wish that their matchup had been rained out.

The contest was rain-delayed, but the Cats were ready and struck early. Senior infielder Marisa Bast opened the inning getting hit by a pitch and DiPrima knocked Bast in with her fifth double of the year.

“Our team chemistry has allowed us to perform at a higher level individually,” DiPrima said about her impressive offensive play. “Every player plays off each other and keeps each other loose.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Kristen Wood allowed no runs across the plate in the bottom of the first, allowing the Cats to pull even farther ahead in the top of the second. 

The middle of the order knocked in two more runs for the Cats, giving them a 3-0 lead. 

The biggest NU rally came in the third inning, when the Cats scored 6 more runs, their 10th inning of the season scoring 5 or 6 runs. The inning opened with an opposite-field home run from Bast. The next two batters hit singles against UCSB starting pitcher Shelby Wisdom, forcing a pitching change.

That didn’t stop the Cats.

They continued to string together singles and walks to knock in 5 more runs for a 9-0 lead going into the middle of the third.

UCSB finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, but any momentum was halted with a 42-minute rain delay in the top of the fifth with the score at 9-1.

The Cats eventually knocked one in the fifth to go up 10-1. Wood didn’t allow UCSB to add to their total in the bottom of the fifth, giving the Cats their run-rule victory. 

As it has for much of the year, NU’s offense shined in the lone game.

“We have so many different weapons,” DiPrima said. “Our team is so deep, if one part of the lineup doesn’t get it done, the other half picks it up. This year we are truly a team.”

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