Missed opportunities again kept NIU’s softball team from sweeping an opponent last weekend.

But after taking 2-of-3 in a series against conference foe Western Michigan, the Huskies have discovered that they can turn to new faces — depth that could be crucial with the start of the Mid-American Conference tournament Thursday at Central Michigan.

NIU, which clinched a berth in the tourney with a 6-2 win over the Broncos on Friday, found success particularly in the third-base position. Freshman Megan Meyer has heated up her play both offensively and defensively, as has junior Kinsey Olson. Meyer went 2-for-3 at bat Friday with two RBI, while Olson’s stick heated up in Game 3 when she drilled hits in all three at-bats.

For most of the year, NIU depended heavily on the work of ace hurler Courtney Witvliet. But junior Jolene Heller has given NIU another option on the mound.

After struggling through most of the season, Heller has been pitching her best of the spring and earned the 3-2 victory in Saturday’s Game 2. Relieving Witvliet, Heller struck out four WMU batters, giving up just one hit, no runs and no walks in five innings.

“I think Jo-Jo did a great job for us,” catcher/outfielder Samantha Knoll said. “I think she really filled in nice, which is a plus for us. We know we can go to her.”

The Huskies realized another thing that will work in their favor at the MAC tournament: While NIU has yet to sweep an opponent, no team has swept the Huskies, and NIU has shown it can beat any team in the conference — including both Ball State and the tournament-host Chippewas in regular season contests. The sixth-seeded Huskies open the tourney with a match-up against Ball State, the third seed, at 10 a.m. Thursday.

“I think a lot of [them] look at us as a team that they can beat,” Knoll said. “We’re a team that really can sneak up on anybody and beat them.”

With the exception of a 4-2 loss in the third game, the Huskies (18-33 overall, 12-12 MAC) also got their hitting game on track. NIU erupted for 25 hits during the weekend, including 10 in a 6-2 win Friday. But NIU still needs to find a way to win three games, which will be crucial in the double elimination MAC tournament.

In the third contest Friday, with the game knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth and pinch runner Erin Holohan on second, Olson brought life to the Huskies with a single to right field — or it seemed. The play backfired, as Holohan got tagged trying to reach home, and Western Michigan caught Olson at second.

“The last game is a direct result of the first game today,” NIU coach Donna Martin said. “We let them play with us in the first game (3-2 NIU win) so they felt like they always had an opportunity to win the game. Then we didn’t take care of some opportunities early in the game when we had runners on with less than two outs, and we didn’t have very good at-bats from people that we should.”

Chance also played a role in NIU’s third-game loss, as the umpire didn’t see a single by NIU’s Kathy LeClear hit the glove of an infielder, and a sure-out throw by outfielder Kelly Redican hit the legs of a Western Michigan baserunner.

“That’s luck,” Martin said. “You let luck into the game when you allow them to stay with you.”

Saturday’s contests marked the final Mary Bell Field appearance for seniors Witvliet, second baseman Bethany Carroll and outfielders Suzie Rizek and Chrisy Johnson.