Friday, April 16, 2004
Softball heads to CMU
Huskies look to snap 11-game losing skid in three-game set
Article by:
Jason Watt - Sports Reporter
• jwatt@northernstar.info
The NIU softball team will look to break an 11-game losing streak when
it travels to Central Michigan for a three-game series.
The Huskies (10-29 overall, 2-7 MAC) will make the trek to Mount Pleasant
to take on a Chippewas team that is undefeated at home and the winner
of six straight. The two teams will play a doubleheader starting at
1 p.m. Saturday. They will square off again at 1 p.m. Sunday.
CMU (17-11, 6-1) has beaten two of the top-five teams in the country.
At the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., the Chippewas beat No.
4 Washington and No. 5 Oklahoma.
“They are very solid and fundamental,” NIU coach Donna Martin
said. “They have a good pitcher, and they score enough runs to
win ball games.”
CMU has a team ERA of 2.25 with Amber Puchalski leading the way with
a 1.83 ERA. Puchalski also leads the team with 10 wins and 121 strikeouts.
The low team ERA could be a threat to a Huskies’ lineup that is
batting .204 as a team.
“We are kind of in a team slump right now; we are waiting to come
out of it,” Martin said. “Last year, we roughed Puchalski
up pretty good. She fixed some things this year, and she is having a
solid senior season.”
Kelly Drozd leads NIU with a .265 batting average.
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