With almost every facet of its game clicking Sunday, the NIU softball team finally played the game it hoped for against Ball State.

But the Huskies will face a mountain of a challenge when they host NCAA powerhouse DePaul today. The Blue Demons (29-7-1 overall) own the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games. Ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press Poll, DePaul also has the country’s second-best earned-run average at 0.61. Freshman pitcher Sarah Martz (16-3) leads the Blue Demons with an 0.55 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 114 innings.

While DePaul will give the Huskies (10-22) a stiff challenge, NIU played some of its best softball of the season Sunday. During the Huskies’ 4-1 victory over Mid-American Conference leader Ball State, the Huskies made the plays on defense, committing no errors and receiving another solid performance from senior pitcher Courtney Witvliet (4 strikeouts, no walks).

NIU coach Donna Martin believes the win finally showed the Huskies’ capability.

“Hopefully, that means we’re back,” she said.

The defending MAC champs had trouble retaining the level of play and consistency they had enjoyed the last two years, but in Sunday’s game, several players contributed to NIU’s consistent play.

Rizek rises to challenge: While senior left fielder Suzie Rizek has made a name for herself at the plate, her defense in the outfield has been key to NIU’s

success.

Last weekend, the 5-foot-7-inch Rizek used her athleticism to make several diving catches, including one in the sixth inning Sunday to help preserve the Huskie victory. For the season, the Naperville native has 37 put-outs and a .933 fielding percentage. At the plate she has 20 hits, nine RBI and one home run.

“They were jamming her big-time at the plate,” Martin said. “I’m happy to see her not take the frustration that she has at the plate out to the field with her. That’s the maturity and senior leadership on her part.”

Chrisy comes through in clutch: Senior right fielder Chrisy Johnson had to fight through the strong winds Saturday, but that didn’t stop her from coming up with some big outs and hits. Johnson provided one of the few bright spots in NIU’s back-to-back losses to Ball State on Saturday. She had the lone RBI in the 4-1 opening loss and went 2-of-5 on the plate for the day.

“She was a little overwhelmed in her first at-bat. But after that, everything you would ask her to do, she did,” Martin said. “She made the plays in the outfield that we needed her to make, and she got some big hits for us.”

Szymski takes two for the team: Each time NIU meets Ball State, it seems the pitches of Cardinals hurler Marcy Mobley make contact with NIU catcher

Gretchen Szymski at bat. The Huskie junior got hit by a pitch twice during Sunday’s victory, which contributed to NIU’s four unearned runs. Szymski also heated up her bat, tallying four hits this weekend.

“That’s the sixth time she’s got hit by that kid in two years,” Martin said. “She’s hitting the ball. That’s what we needed her to do. Her catching is good, but her strength is hitting … and she’s trying to do the best that she can.”