A late-season surge is developing into something spectacular for a team that has always been capable.
Last week, I positioned the series win against Purdue as a do-or-die moment for Northwestern’s season, a stretch that would reveal how much the team wanted it. By the end of the weekend, I think it’s safe to say the answer was clear: they want it bad.
Purdue is arguably the toughest opponent since Michigan earlier this month, and when I saw Friday’s score heading into the seventh, I’ll admit that I wasn’t
optimistic.
But then the remarkable happened, and Northwestern pulled off the win despite all odds — cementing the first result as the tone for the rest. After the game, when Emma Raye was asked what the comeback win meant moving forward, it was clear how much this victory resonated with the group.
“It’s just teaching us how to fight,” Raye told Kayla Helman, the sideline reporter for Purdue’s broadcast. “As we keep going into the Big Ten Tournament and hopefully postseason, we’re gonna battle.”
And over the past week, the fight has translated into big results.
This has not been a clean or predictable run. The Wildcats have trailed, they’ve been tested and at times they’ve failed to play as a team. I’ve certainly had my doubts and concerns along the way, especially revolving around consistency and how the team would handle pressure in tighter moments. But this weekend, and the later stretch of this month, has offered a brighter picture of what this group can become.
Raye later added that the team’s journey is all about the fight and grit they have, and at this point, it’s hard to disagree. Northwestern is now riding a 10-game win streak and sits closer to postseason hopes than ever. Maybe momentum is building late, but it’s still building nonetheless.
To say my hopes are sky-high would be an overstatement, but I must admit, I’m excited for what’s to come.
Slow burns
Comebacks haven’t been a defining feature in Northwestern’s season.
In fact, before last week’s stretch of games, only 8.7% of wins were via comeback (that’s only two, by the way). Too often has this season’s early deficit felt decisive with little reason to expect a turnaround.
Maybe that’s why I’m so astonished by this week’s reversal. After a season of struggling to climb back, NU erased three deficits this week: first in the midweek matchup with NIU and twice in the Purdue series.
Of course, there is a reason for this to happen. A hunger for a postseason likely looms in the heads of the Wildcats — it’s hard not to think about the future, even if taking things one game at a time.
But no matter what is driving the production, it’s certainly happening. In the Purdue series, the ‘Cats hit .523 in situations where they could advance runners, consistently extending innings rather than letting opportunities fade.
On top of this, when trailing in the four games this past week, Northwestern hit .367 with a .500 on-base percentage, a combination that helped sustain innings and keep chipping away down the stretch.
And while pressure didn’t always translate immediately, it did build over time. 60% of Northwestern’s runs this week came in the final three innings, finally showing that the team is capable of wearing down opponents and not rolling over.
This is a huge step for the team that I can only hope becomes a trend. Now that the ‘Cats have proven they can consistently absorb deficits and create opportunities to tilt the game back in their favor, the door widens for the types of games they can win.
Obviously, you never want to be in a hole, but things happen, and teams are good. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect Northwestern to always score first. The correct expectation is that the team faces a challenge head-on and avoids panicking when adversity hits.
Instead of forcing early control, Northwestern has shown this week it can stay patient, chip away and create chances late in the game. It’s up to the team how often they choose to lean into this identity, but for success in the Big Ten Tournament and beyond, getting comfortable with it may not be optional.
Locked in
Renae Cunningham, you have outdone yourself.
The junior had yet to pitch more than two innings in a game this season, but on Saturday, she stayed in the circle for seven and completely controlled the tempo. After Grudzielanek surrendered four runs with no outs, Cunningham was thrown into a situation that could have unraveled quickly. The priority at that moment is usually simple: stop the bleeding and give your offense a chance. But who would have expected what came next?
This is the first time as a Wildcat that she has ever pitched a full 21 outs in a game. Before this, the closest she had come was during her first-year campaign, where she pitched six innings against Indiana on May 3, 2024. In that outing, she allowed six hits and two earned runs. On Saturday, one hit and no runs.
In her shutout, there wasn’t a single walk, extra-base hit or moment where Purdue could even try to pull a rally. I’m sure it felt suffocating to be on the Boilermaker offense as four innings went by, three up, three down. Cunningham attacked the strike zone consistently, finishing with a 64.18% strike rate while forcing weak contact and quick outs for her defense to capitalize on.
I truly think this is where the grittiness came in on Saturday’s game. Northwestern needed three innings to tie the game and five to finally take the lead. In that entire stretch, Cunningham ensured time was never working against it, and runs didn’t compound inning after inning. Her control in the circle provided the stability the Wildcat offense desperately needed, and in the end, she earned the victory through and through.
The star-studded cast
It’s unfortunate I couldn’t come up with a pun for ‘Cats and cast. I mean, come on, the letters are all right there! Anyway, I guess I’m back with another round of all-around highs. Not that I’m complaining, of course.
Northwestern outscored its Boilermaker opponent 20-11 this weekend, highlighted by an 11-4 win Saturday that tied for the second-most runs scored against Purdue this season, alongside Rutgers. The lineup worked together to complete multiple comebacks, but there were a couple of star performances worth highlighting.
For starters, Kelsey Nader has been fired up at the plate as of late, and this weekend she continued that trend. While hitting .571 in the Purdue series, she collected a home run and delivered the sacrifice fly that accounted for the lone run in Sunday’s win.
Raye delivered the defining swing of the series, a seventh-inning, three-RBI home run that completed Northwestern’s comeback in the opener. The blast secured the win and tallied Raye’s 54th RBI of the season, the most ever by a catcher in Wildcat history. A little further down the lineup, Bridget Donahey continued to reinforce Northwestern’s offensive depth. She recorded her fourth game with two home runs and, in that same contest, hit .750 with a double and 10 total bases — tied for second in single-game program history.
And if that wasn’t enough, there is another record in the books! Northwestern’s two triples during the series brought its season total to 17, tying for second-most in program history.
In the circle, offensive support was more than enough from Mason and the aforementioned Cunningham. The staff as a whole held the Boilermakers to a .199 team batting average across the series. A significant feat considering five hitters were batting above .300, including Moriah Polar, who entered the series hitting above .500. Polar was limited to three hits all weekend, the lowest she’s hit in conference play all season.
Mason added another complete-game shutout to her list of accomplishments and even had a four-pitch inning in Sunday’s pitchers’ duel.
Taken together, standout accomplishments blended into the team’s performance as a whole. Power, depth, pitching control and timely execution all showed up in different moments, painting the picture of a team that is becoming increasingly complete at the right time.
The clock is ticking
Northwestern closes out its final conference and home series this weekend against Minnesota. There is one thing, above all, that the team must do this weekend. Treat this series like it still has everything to prove.
Not in the sense that their season is on the line, because this isn’t true. No matter what happens this weekend, Northwestern is guaranteed a look at the selection show on May 10. Even if swept, its overall win-loss record stays above .500.
But comfort can be dangerous. There is no reason for the ‘Cats to play any differently than they have all season while at their best.
So the goal becomes putting together what works: clean innings, competitive at-bats, trust in each other and a darn good final fight. Senior weekend already brings emotion and energy; the best version of Northwestern uses that as fuel and not closure.
