Last weekend Texas was inundated with the Super Bowl, but this weekend NIU’s softball team invaded the Lone Star state for the Texas Classic.

The Huskies (0-5) began their 2011 campaign at McCombs Field in Austin, Texas, playing five games in a three-day span. Competing against top-tier teams, including a doubleheader against the No. 15 ranked Texas Longhorns, NIU was unable to bring home a win.

“[The competition] definitely lived up to the hype,” said junior Dani Parrish. “The coaches had prepared us that we would have a challenge and to do what we do best, stick with our process.”

Even with the losses, head coach Lindsay Chouinard saw positives in her players in their first weekend on the dirt, particularly from Parrish.

“Dani did a good job all around,” Chouinard said. “She did a good job from the plate and led us in that regard. That’s why she’s batting lead-off. She made all the plays that came to her and really was the anchor in center field.”

NIU began the weekend, behind the arm of junior Morgan Bittner, who pitched the entire way for the Huskies in their first outing against Tulsa, giving up three earned runs, with five walks and five strikeouts. The Golden Hurricane (2-3) would eventually win after both teams were shutout until the fifth inning. Tulsa nabbed three runs in the top of the inning, but NIU could only respond with two in the bottom half. Freshman Aimee Creger struck out 12 NIU players to lead the defensive game for the Golden Hurricane.

The toughest competition of the tournament came in a doubleheader against Texas (5-0). NIU was up 3-0 going into the third inning of the first game. But the Longhorns scored eight unanswered runs before NIU’s Alex Wulbecker singled up the middle, scoring Amanda Sheppard from third.

“Texas is a great team and have a very potent offense,” Chouinard said. “It was nice to see that the girls weren’t intimidated, and we came out and scored first and had 12 hits in that game and a great offensive performance.”

In game two, the Huskies fell to the mercy rule in five innings after Texas put up 14 runs to the Huskies’ one. Pitcher Whitney Owens struggled in her first start of the season, giving up 11 earned runs, zero strikeouts and three balks in three innings.