The NIU softball team’s 14-game losing streak officially ended Wednesday as the Huskies swept a double header against Ball State at Mary M. Bell Field.

Behind two complete games by pitcher Kathy Dearborn, and five RBIs from Lauren von Holst, NIU (12-32 overall,4-10 MAC) took the first game 7-0 and the second 3-2.

“Oh, it’s a very good feeling,” von Holst said. “It’s such a relief to finally win.”

With the wind pounding around them in the first game, the Huskies put a run on the board in the first inning, but it was the third inning that got the team going, coach Donna Martin said.

With runners on first and second, von Holst came up and hit a ball off a tree in center field for a three-run home run.

The three runs were all the insurance Dearborn, who gave up just five hits, one walk and no runs, needed to get the Huskies’ first win since March 28.

NIU added three more runs in the sixth inning when Kelly Drozd hit a bases loaded double over the right fielder’s head, scoring all the runners.

The second game didn’t showcase as much power for the Huskies, as they managed just three hits but ended up scoring three runs.

Dearborn was able to pitch with the lead the entire game after NIU scored in the first inning on a Toni Del Toro single that scored Kelly Redican.

“Just a stellar performance out of [Dearborn],” Martin said. “She has been our hot pitcher the last two weeks and she deserved these two wins.”

Dearborn got a little more help from von Holst again in the third when she hit a single past the pitcher to score two more runs and give NIU a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Dearborn allowed two runs after an error by Kelly Park put runners on second and third. Then a single and sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2, but Dearborn allowed four more hits to finish the game.

“When you’re losing, the losses just keep mounting up and you can’t get a break,” Martin said. “Yet today we got those breaks and pulled it out.”