The past two weeks have been nothing if not wild for Northwestern. The Wildcats (17-19, 5-7 Big Ten) split the first two games in their series against Michigan and No. 17 Oregon, setting up a rubber match in Rosemont in each.

Both times, the ’Cats found a new and heartbreaking way to lose — whether it was with a drop-dead loss against the Ducks or slowly watching their 9-0 lead trickle away against the Wolverines.

With each wound still fresh, a midweek matchup against DePaul, a program that had won just one of its last ten games, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

The ’Cats, however, again left with a loss, as the Blue Demons’ (14-24, 4-11 Big East) first win in the Purple Line showdown since 2019 came in a game befitting NU’s wild past few weeks.

Through two and a half innings, NU played the game the way it set out to.

Following Sunday’s loss to Michigan, coach Kate Drohan said her team had gotten away from the aggressiveness that benefited it early in the game and throughout the season at large.

“I thought we sat back on our heels for the second half of that game,” she said, noting her squad would strive to build upon its assertiveness moving forward.

NU’s bold baserunning had sparked the early lead against the Wolverines, and Drohan looked to start Wednesday’s game in a similar fashion.

So when graduate student second baseman Grace Nieto drew a lead-off walk, she was quickly given the sign to steal second base. Looking to put the Blue Demons on their heels early, her successful swipe was one of three for the ’Cats in the first three innings.

Some pop from senior shortstop Bridget Donahey added to their growing edge, as she skyed a solo shot just over a DePaul outfielder at the fence to put NU on the board in the second inning.

NU had a chance to increase its lead after DePaul loaded the bases for sophomore center fielder Kaylie Avvisato with three two-out walks, but a ground out to shortstop forced all three runners to walk back to the dugout instead.

Redshirt sophomore pitcher Signe Dohse maintained the one-run lead with a three-up, three-down frame, and more aggression with ducks on the pond widened the ’Cats’ lead to two.

Freshman outfielder Kate Renschen made the most of her only pinch-running at-bat of the day, making it to second on a passed ball and nabbing the next bag herself before tagging up from third on a sac fly from senior first baseman Kansas Robinson to score.

A two-out steal of second from senior right fielder Kelsey Nader put another runner within range, but the ’Cats were unable to convert on the opportunity, and the score remained 2-0 when DePaul batted in the third.

In the first of their two innings with a score, the Blue Demons got their first two batters on board with back-to-back mishaps in the outfield.

Avvisato flashed some leather on a lead-off hit with a dive to the center field grass, but she had the ball slide out for DePaul’s first hit of the game. With the next ball smashed into right field, Nader camped beneath it but lost sight of it, as the setting sunlight beamed right in her eyes.

After a walk juiced the bases, an RBI single combined with a pitch grazing the hands of DePaul first baseman Chelsea Parker tied the game at two and brought designated player Lydia Ettema into the batter’s box with the bases still loaded.

A pitch at her ankles ricocheted back across the plate, and Ettema took her base, advancing each runner sixty feet and bringing the lead-taking run in from third. Except, she never actually got hit by the pitch.

The umpires called the pitch a ball, but in the confusion, both teams assumed the play had been called dead, leading to the Blue Demons unintentionally and unopposedly stealing second, third and home to take the lead.

NU was unable to contend the play being live, and Ettema returned to the batter’s box before finally striking out. DePaul completed the inning with a three-run homer, putting the finishing touches on an oddly-constructed four-hit, six-run effort.

The ’Cats chipped one off the four-run deficit with some brazen baserunning by Nieto on a fourth-inning Avvisato double. As its belligerence continued to wear on the Blue Demons, NU capitalized once more. 

With runners on the corners after junior catcher Emma Raye coaxed a base on balls, DePaul catcher Zoe Levine began seeing ghosts behind the dish. Although Raye didn’t try to steal second, she ended up there anyway.

A Levine put-out throw screamed through the infield with no ’Cat running and no Blue Demon covering the bag, allowing Raye to head to second and Avvisato to score from third. But NU’s mad dash would end there.

After DePaul scored again early in the sixth inning, Drohan called on her ace, freshman pitcher Marina Mason, to retire pinch hitter Addy Poe and notch two more outs to keep the game within reach. Then came another unexpected twist.

Mason got Poe to pop up to left center field, drawing both Avvisato and sophomore left fielder Avery Garden in to make the play. The result was a two-’Cat collision in the outfield, causing both to hit the deck as the ball dropped over their heads. Poe rounded the bases for an inside-the-park home run, pushing DePaul’s lead to five.

Donahey extended her great individual performance with a second long ball, but the game’s supply of madness finally ran out, and no other batter made it on base in the final frame as the ’Cats dropped their game against the Blue Demons 9-5.

While the game will likely be remembered for its disconcerting sequences, NU’s chances at victory were not spoiled by just a few unfortunate plays.

Both the ’Cats and the Blue Demons had seven chances at the plate with runners in scoring position. NU went hitless, stranding eight runners in the process. DePaul left just two.

Whether the ’Cats’ ability to bring The Twilight Zone seemingly wherever they go and their recent struggles in high-leverage situations are larger issues or simply bad luck is unclear. Regardless, with only four conference series left to play before postseason play begins, including this week’s match-up with Penn State, a loss like this will loom especially large.

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