Close games and a load of long-ball hitting provided positives in NIU’s 2-3 showing at the Creighton University-Bud Lite Softball Invitational over the weekend.

Three of the five tournament games were decided by one run with the 6-10 Huskies coming out on top against Northern Iowa 3-2 Friday. NIU was down 2-1 until the final inning when the Huskies surged to victory with a two-run rally. Marie Leake notched the win for NIU and junior catcher Julie Sexton added punch to the offense with a double.

Late-inning rallies by North Star Conference rival DePaul Friday and host Creighton Saturday cost NIU.

DePaul edged the Huskies 7-6 thanks in part to a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. NIU came back with two of its own, but could not counter the Blue Demons. Rachel Ortiz was the losing pitcher for NIU, and Sexton picked up two doubles and Lori Reimer added one.

NIU was up 7-5 against Creighton until the top of the sixth when the Lady Jays pounded out three runs for an 8-7 victory. Ortiz suffered the loss despite doubles by Sexton, Reimer and Mary Borem.

NIU’s other tournament win came Saturday against in-state rival Illinois State in a 4-2 triumph. The Huskies were down 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth when NIU scored four times to hold on to a 4-2 win. Kristen Vandenhouten picked up the win.

Eastern Michigan handed NIU its second-greatest loss of the spring season Sunday—a 9-2 defeat. Gilfoy highlighted the game with two doubles and a single in her three trips to the plate. Leake took the loss for the Huskies.

“We hit the ball pretty well all weekend with a lot of different people collecting hits,” NIU head coach Dee Abrahamson said. “We were there with chances at the end of the two one-run losses, but just couldn’t put the game away.”

NIU totalled 37 hits over the five tournament games with 10 going for doubles. Sexton provided much of the long-ball power with four doubles.

The Huskies open the home portion of their season Tuesday afternoon, playing Bradley in a 3 p.m. double-header on the NIU Varsity Diamond.