Returning to DePaul was a bittersweet occasion for NIU softball head coach Lindsay Chouinard.

The former Blue Demon went back to her alma mater Thursday only to watch her Huskie squad fall 10-2 in five innings to the No. 22 DePaul team. The game ended early because of the mercy rule. The rule states that if a team has an eight or more run lead after five innings the game is over.

The Huskies notched the game’s first run after a leadoff homer from junior Kayla Kramer in the first inning. The shot was Kramer’s second of the season.

“Kayla did a good job coming up swinging the bat with a leadoff home run,” Chouinard said. “That’s what we’ve been asking her to do as a leadoff hitter.”

Down 1-0, the Blue Demons (22-9) struck back with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first frame. The nationally ranked team didn’t let up either, scoring another five runs in the second inning to go ahead 10-1.

With 10 quick runs, the Huskies (11-23 overall, 6-2 MAC) had three innings to catch up, but a lone run in the fourth wasn’t enough to stop the slaughter rule loss. Sophomore Andrea Colosimo reached home on a wild pitch, but the Huskie batters couldn’t get anything going.

Kramer’s blast was the only NIU hit of the game, and freshman pitcher Morgan Bittner picked up

the loss.

After playing two games in as many days, the Huskies will return home this weekend for two games against MAC foe Western Michigan. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday, with the second game scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Broncos (12-14, 6-2) and Huskies share the second spot in the MAC West, with six conference wins. WMU has been dominant at home going 6-2 with their pitchers combining for a 0.78 ERA.

On the road, however, the team has struggled. The Bronco’s pitching staff has allowed 19 runs for a combined 6.75 ERA when playing away from home.

Colosimo said she hopes the week’s games against UIC and DePaul prepared the team for the weekend’s conference match-up with the Broncos.

“The main goal is to work on little things,” Colosimo said. “We’ve had pitching and fielding errors or other controllable things like getting our bunts down. All we’re trying to do is work on the little things so we’ll do them right in MAC games.”

To celebrate the Easter weekend, fans in attendance for Saturday’s game will receive eggs filled with candy.

The team will also be giving away autographed memorabilia to a few lucky fans.