Rocky Johnson Field proved to be just as its name suggests this weekend, as NIU saw ups and downs in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic in Lubbock, Texas by winning every other game.

The Huskies (3-7) began with momentum, going against Wichita State (4-11) in their opening game. Led behind the arm of junior Morgan Bittner, NIU shut down the Shockers’ offense as Bittner went the distance, giving up three hits while striking out six.

“Morgan did a great job setting the tone from the mound the entire weekend,” said NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard. “[She] really did a good job overall of just getting better.”

But the afternoon game against host Texas Tech flipped the team’s momentum, losing 16-3 to the No. 19 ranked Red Raiders (16-0) in five innings. NIU’s offense started by freshman Nicole Gremillion on a solo home run for her first career homer and the Huskies’ first of the season.

“It was the first pitch I swung at,” Gremillion said. “It was a straight line drive over the fence. I had no idea it was going over. Everybody started screaming and cheering. It was awesome to be the first to do it, [especially] against a Big 12 team like that.”

The Red Raiders took advantage of home field, bringing home five in the bottom of their first attempt at the plate. In the third inning, cleanup batter Cydney Allen put Texas Tech up 12-1 off a two-run shot.

Pitcher Whitney Owens’s day would end with Allen, having given up seven earned runs on 12 hits, while striking out two and walking five in two innings of work. Chouinard declined to comment on the specifics of Owens performance.

“Texas Tech is obviously a great team,” Chouinard said. “We won all the games that we should have won this weekend.”

Owens rebounded to earn her first win 6-4 on Saturday, in the second game against Wichita State.

The nightcap against Texas Tech ended in another five-inning win for the Red Raiders. The Huskies were held scoreless on six hits, while Texas Tech nabbed four runs in the first inning followed by two in each the second and third to defeat the Huskies 8-0. Gremillion took the loss for the Huskies.

The Huskies wrapped up tournament play Sunday morning against St. John’s. Amanda Sheppard homered to left field in the second on the Huskies’ way to a 4-0 lead. NIU would add two more in the fourth before the Red Storm (5-10) came back in the sixth with three runs.

The Huskies grabbed another four in the seventh, including a three-run shot off the bat of Krista Matsui to take a 10-3 lead. St. John’s made its last attempt in the seventh, earning four runs, but fell short 10-7.