Although NIU’s softball team finished with the best record in last weekend’s Huskie Softball Invitational Tournament, it fell just short of capturing the first-place trophy.

NIU finished the two-day, six-game tournament with a 3-1 record. Toledo finished with a similar record but scored five more runs than NIU which gave the Rockets first place. Eastern Illinois, which finished 0-4 on the weekend, was the other tournament member.

The Huskies started the tournament on a positive side with two Saturday victories. The first win was a 6-4 triumph over EIU.

Heidi Hutchison drilled a triple in the third inning to score Kim Crotinger and start the Huskie scoring. With the score locked 1-1, NIU knocked in three runs in the top of the sixth. EIU pulled within one to make it 4-3, but the Huskies pulled out two more runs in the seventh. EIU scored only one in the bottom of the seventh for the 6-4 final.

NIU edged Toledo 3-2 later that day. The Huskies scored three fourth-inning runs. Lori Reimer and Mary Borem scored on a Jen Blasky pinch-hit sacrifice fly with Stacy Paller crossing the plate on a Toledo infield error.

Day two of the tournament started out fine for NIU when Lisa Gilfoy smacked a sacrifice fly to left that scored Hutchison in the first inning. However, Toledo scored in the sixth when Deanna Fong scored on a Huskie overthrow to the plate from centerfielder Ree Zenner. In the seventh, another error allowed Toledo to score the winning run, 2-1.

NIU never trailed against EIU in Sunday’s second game. The Huskies scored four in the top of the first, then added an insurance run in the sixth, for a 5-2 victory.

Gilfoy and Zenner each earned RBIs in the first inning, Gilfoy on a sacrifice fly and Zenner on a two-run single. Pinch-hitter Jean Leahy singled, stole second and scored on an EIU shortstop error for NIU’s final run. EIU scored once in the first and again in the fourth.

Pitcher Rachel Ortiz won a pair of games while Kristen Vandenhouten, who struck out nine Toledo batters in Sunday’s loss, won Saturday’s first game. Maria Leake earned a save in Sunday’s EIU game.