MAC play will recommence for the NIU softball team when it begins a three-game series with host Western Michigan at 1 p.m. Saturday and play the final game at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Huskies (10-19 overall, 2-1 MAC) come off a loss to Valparaiso on Wednesday. NIU finished with two hits and is batting .218 on the season.

“We didn’t make adjustments at the plate, and because of that, we didn’t have many baserunners,” NIU coach Donna Martin said.

In turn, NIU’s pitching staff is suffering from the lack of offensive support, even though it is holding opponents to a .219 batting average. Sophomore Paige Granath’s record dropped to 1-7 after allowing only two more hits than the Valpo pitching staff.

Another blow to NIU has been its inability to win close games, with 11 of its 19 losses coming by two runs or less.

WMU (12-15, 0-2) has lost three games this season by two runs or less, but its offense isn’t fairing much better than NIU’s, hitting .229.

The Broncos’ Jaymie Voss (.307) and NIU’s Kelly Drozd (.310) are the two teams’ only players hitting above .300.

Martin said she wasn’t overly worried about the team’s non-conference loss to Valpo, focusing mainly on giving non-starters, like Granath, a chance to play.

“It was a decent outing for her individually,” Martin said. “And as a team, we got to play some people at different spots in the field without any problems, so that’s a positive.”