Last season, the NIU softball team had a combined earned run average of 2.56 on a team that finished two games above .500.

This year the Huskies returned all three of their pitchers and added a lefty to their arsenal.

NIU coach Donna Martin said pitching was one her team’s strengths.

“I think that we are gifted in the technical parts,” Martin said. “We have pitchers who can throw all the different pitches that we need to be successful. We now have a lefty in Amy West. We have a hard thrower in [Amy] Krahula. Then we have two pitchers whose balls move a lot in [Kathy] Dearborn and Paige Granath.”

Dearborn, a junior, has emerged as the team’s No. 1 starter. Dearborn leads the team with a 2.43 ERA and is 3-5 on the season.

Amy Krahula is the team’s second option to send to the pitching circle. Krahula has a 3.21 ERA and a 2-5 record.

The Huskies have a team ERA of 3.13.

With the Huskies playing their first 23 games on the road, they look forward to playing their first game at home today against Loyola.

After losing Paige Shemoski and Lisa Mattke to graduation last year, NIU (7-16 overall) lost some of its offensive fire power. The Huskies already have been shut out four times this season.

Shemoski and Mattke combined to knock in 51 runs and hit 11 of the Huskies’ 27 home runs.

Picking up the power numbers this season are Shelby Bernard and Kelly Redican. Bernard and Redican lead the team with 10 RBIs apiece. Bernard also has hit two of the team’s five home runs.

Leadoff hitter Kelly Drozd leads the team with a .290 batting average, 20 hits and 12 runs scored.

Martin said her team has struggled on the defensive side of the ball, mainly because they are not used to fielding due to the weather.

“I think you can see the effects of it on their fielding average,” Martin said. “We’ve also had to start some people at positions they’re not used to playing. But we can’t use that as an excuse.”

Last season, the Huskies were 14-9 after 23 games. Through the same amount of games this season, NIU is 7-16.

Despite the slow start, the players still are optimistic about turning things around this season.

“I wish the team was doing better,” Granath said. “But I think that the team is really starting to play a lot better.”