Softball has catapulted itself into first place in the MAC West through 24 non-conference games despite being a bit rocky at the start of the season.

Softball (12-12, 0-0 MAC) went 6-4 last week. But, the Huskies began the season 6-8 in a 14-game stretch in which they gave up 4.9 runs a game while only scoring 3.9. That deficit has changed drastically: In their last 10 games they have scored 3.2 runs per game while only allowing about 2.3.

“We’ve just been able to figure it out,” said head coach Christina Sutcliffe. “We’ve been able to get off the field when we need to. [The] pitching staff really stepped up down in Florida. [The] key for us is staying consistent.”

Key players

Pitcher Keegan Hayes was important for the Huskies this week, going 4-1 in six appearances and holding a 0.72 ERA in 29.1 innings. She received MAC West Player of the Week honors for the effort.

On the season, Hayes is 6-4 in 10 starts and 16 appearances, maintaining an ERA of 2.21 in 63.1 innings of work. Batters are only hitting .214 against her this season, which has proven to be a key factor in many of the Huskies’ wins.

On the batting side, sophomore Kayti Grable has led the way with big performances: In 24 games, Grable is batting .486 with six home runs and 24 runs batted in. She has also managed to draw nine walks while having an on-base percentage of .535 and playing well in the field with a percentage of .980.

This comes after a season in which Grable hit .363 with nine home runs, 11 doubles and 37 runs batted in, leading to her taking home MAC Freshman of the Year honors and earning spots on the All-MAC and MAC All-Freshman teams.

“Both of them have been workhorses for us,” Sutcliffe said. “Keegan and Jess [Sturm] in the circle have done a good job. Kayti’s just having a phenomenal year. She’s on fire.”

What’s next

NIU will look to extend its four-game win streak and maintain first place in the MAC West.

“It’s tough when your first 24 games are on the road,” Sutcliffe said. “It was tough when we were coming in and out and coming in and going out again.”

The Huskies have played no conference games and no games at home, but that’s soon to change as they play North Dakota State at 1:30 p.m. today at Mary M. Bell Field. They begin a 10-game homestand March 27 against the Ohio Bobcats.