The NIU softball team’s offensive woes continued as it was shut out by Northwestern 9-0 on Tuesday.

The shut out was the fifth straight for the Wildcats (17-11) against the Huskies (10-23), dating back to 2000. Also, it was the Huskies’ fourth shutout loss in their last five games this season.

Getting the victory was NU sophomore Courtnay Foster, who gave up just one hit, struck out eight and allowed four walks in her complete game performance.

“I really felt good,” Foster said. “I was really hitting my spots.”

Foster had run support right off the bat as the Wildcats took advantage of a pair of errors in the second inning to score three runs.

They followed it up with four more runs in the third, including a two-run home run by catcher J.C. Kira to give them a 7-0 lead against NIU pitcher Amy Krahula.

Paige Granath came in midway through the third for NIU and allowed three hits and two runs for the rest of the game.

The Huskies tried to put some runs on the board in the fourth with bases loaded and one out, but strikeouts by Toni Del Torro and Elyse Jamrozy ended their only chance of the game.

“We didn’t get the results that we wanted, but we played better today,” coach Donna Martin said.

The loss was NIU’s fifth in a row and 11 in its past 14 games.

The Huskies will try to end their losing streak against Iowa today in Iowa City.

The two teams met back in March when the Hawkeyes won 5-1 in the Speedline Invitational in Tampa, Fla.

Iowa (22-15) currently is tied for first in the Big Ten with the University of Michigan and has won four straight.