Pitching has been holding up its end of the bargain for NIU’s softball team in the last four games, allowing eight earned runs while the Huskies have scored two.

NIU pitchers Amy Krahula and Paige Granath even held Northwestern’s top hitter, Erin Mobley, hitless in three at bats Tuesday.

The problem was that the rest of NU’s offense unloaded its bats on Krahula, posting eight hits and scoring seven runs in her last 2 2/3 innings.

Krahula was 13-8 last season with a 1.89 earned run average, and the loss Tuesday moved her to 5-7 this season with a 2.81 ERA.

NIU coach Donna Martin said Krahula’s performance this year has not surprised her.

“She just was not very effective today,” Martin said.

Though junior Kathy Dearborn and Krahula, NIU’s regular starting pitchers, allow about two earned runs per outing, they are No. 28 and 29 in the MAC in ERA, respectively.

Krahula also has allowed 38 walks this season, tied for third most in the MAC, and Dearborn has given up 11 home runs, while no other MAC pitcher has given up more than six.

Tuesday’s game was the Huskies’ fourth shutout loss in their last five games this season

Martin noted that NIU has played a tough non-conference schedule. Nonetheless, the team’s .212 batting average mixed with its struggling pitching staff has it at 10-23.

The Huskies have had a bright spot on the mound as of late in sophomore Paige Granath. In her last 12 1/3 innings, she has allowed four runs and walked three batters while striking out four.

The Machesney Park native came in for Krahula to get the last out of the third inning against Northwestern. She went on to give up two hits until the top of the seventh when the Wildcats gathered one more hit and posted their last two runs.