Before the softball season tipped off last month, NIU coach Donna Martin said hitting would be one of her team’s strengths. But the Huskies’ bats stayed silent last weekend at the Southern Illinois Invite, where NIU went 0-3.

The Huskies (1-11) managed 7 runs in the three contests and had 3 hits in a 3-1 setback against Bradley University on Saturday.

“Our bats really went cold against Bradley,” Martin said. “We got the lead and didn’t continue to attack.”

The heartbreaker of the weekend came in the opener against Indiana. A controversial “out” call on NIU’s Kelly Redican, with NIU clinging to a 2-1 10th-inning lead, meant the game for the Huskies. After tying the contest at 3, the Hoosiers scored the go-ahead run in the 12th. The Hoosiers halted the Huskies’ last chance for victory when Indiana threw out junior Kinsey Olson as she tried to steal home.

“I thought we had the game won in the bottom of the 10th, ” Martin said. “It was a very close play at first base, and that would have won the game. Instead, we had to go out and battle.”

In the final game against the Hoosiers on Sunday, NIU grabbed an early 1-0 lead off a single from Redican. But NIU ran out of gas from there, as Indiana tallied 10 hits and outscored NIU 11-2 to coast to victory. Weather conditions and time constraints forced the cancellation of NIU’s scheduled match-ups with Butler and the host, Salukis, so the Huskies settled for another match-up with Indiana.

Senior Courtney Witvliet continued her solid play on the mound, fanning 10 batters and allowing 5 hits in 11 innings.

“Our pitchers have been performing well this year,” Martin said. “But we still have to find ways to score some more runs.”