DeKALB | NIU’s softball team had another successful weekend in the MAC.

The Huskies (18-19 overall, 8-3 MAC) went 2-1 against Ohio and Akron. They lost their only game of the weekend to Ohio, 7-2.

NIU’s game on Saturday against Akron was cancelled and rescheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. because of weather.

The Huskies swept Akron, winning the first game, 4-3 and the second game, 3-2.

Freshman Stephanie Tofft extended her school record hitting streak to 27 games. Tofft went 5-for-9 at the plate this weekend, and extended the streak to 27 in the fifth inning of second Akron game with a single to right field.

The Huskies let their game against Ohio get away. They took the lead in the fifth inning on sophomore Jennifer Barnett’s double to left field that drove in freshman Erika Oswald to give NIU a 2-1 lead.

However, in the sixth inning, the Bobcats (15-18, 4-5) broke the game open with six runs to make the score 7-2. Ohio shut out the Huskies for the rest of the game.

In game one against Akron (18-19, 2-8), the Huskies trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. NIU responded with three runs to take the lead 4-3.

Junior Morgan Bittner then came in to pitch the seventh and close out the game. Bittner earned her third save of the year.

Game two was also close. It was tied 1-1 going into the sixth when the Huskies put up two runs to give them the lead, 3-1.

They put up both runs with two outs in the inning and got a huge two-RBI double to right field from senior Andrea Colosimo.

Bittner then came back in to close out the game. She pitched the seventh inning and gave up one run, to make the score 3-2 but the Huskies held on to win the game.

That was Bittner’s fourth save of the year and her second of the day.

“We had good pitching performances this weekend,” said NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard. “Morgan and Nicole were huge for us. They did a good job of keeping the ball down, hitting their spots, and making big pitches when they needed to.”

Freshman Nicole Gremillion picked up the win in both games on Sunday and improved her record to 5-3 on the year.

“8-3 is a good record for us at this point,” Chouinard said. “We got two big wins this weekend, and it is always great to sweep a MAC opponent. We have let a few games get away from us that we should have one, but we are focused on the future and continuing to improve.”