The Northwestern softball team is riding an eight-game winning streak as the offense is hitting new heights. In their last three games, the Tigers have scored 37 runs and the pitching has allowed just four runs over the same span.

Emma Freeman delivered the pitching highlight of the week with a six-inning perfect game against Salisbury. The junior pitcher struck out 13 in the game as the Tigers downed the Falcons 10-0. Freeman also had a double to drive in a run in the game. Abby Dunstan had two hits, an RBI and scored twice and Shelby Mitman had a two-run triple for Northwestern. The Lady Tigers took advantage of five Salisbury errors, seven walks, and two wild pitches.

The team highlight of the week came in a win against Notre Dame of Green Pond, which suffered its first league loss at the hands of Northwestern.

The 10-2 win saw Freeman strike out 11 batters and allow just three hits. Freeman also hit a solo home run. Freeman was on base three times and scored three runs in the game. Samantha Boyer, Ainsley Behler, and Lizzie Diehl all had two hits with Behler driving in three runs and Boyer knocking in two.

Against Wilson, Northwestern was up 5-2 going to the bottom of the fourth as things turned very bad for the Warriors and the Tiger offense struck for 12 runs and a 17-2 win.

Abby Dunstan and Natalie Conner both homered in the game with Dunstan launching a two-run shot and Conner lifting a three-run home run. Freeman and Conner both finished the day with four RBI and Conner led the team in hits with four while Freeman had three and both Dunstan and Diehl had two. Freeman, Dunstan, and Conner each scored three runs.

“I’m proud of our offense, putting up 17 runs in four innings is great for us,” said Freeman. “I think at the beginning of the season we were a little slow with our bats, but we have definitely picked it up, scoring 10 against Notre Dame yesterday and 17 today.”

Dunstan, who has committed to play at Georgia Tech, now has four of the team’s eight home runs this season with Conner and Freeman now at two home runs each.

Freeman was dominating both in the circle and at the plate with just two earned runs and six hits allowed in 17 innings of work to go with 32 strikeouts in three games. Offensively, Freeman 6-11 (.545) with a double, a home run, eight runs scored and six RBI.

“Getting the offensive support from my teammates makes me comfortable in the circle and I think it eases the rest of our team, too,” said Freeman. “We’re all just really confident on the field right now.”

Dunstan (5-10), Conner (6-12), and Diehl (5-10) all hit .500 in the three game span with Dunstan adding a home run, seven runs scored and three RBI, Conner scoring three times and driving in six, while Diehl scored twice and drove in two runs.

“We have talked a lot about pitch selection and making the pitchers work a little bit harder,” said Tiger head coach Kate Farber. “We look for pitches we know we can drive instead of just throwing the bat out there and putting the ball in play. Sometimes that works, but not always, so we have been making sure we’re getting the pitches we want to get.”

Northwestern (8-0 Colonial, 9-1 overall) hosts Kutztown in a nonleague game tonight with games at Pen Argyl (8-2, 9-3) and home against Jim Thorpe (0-8, 2-8) early next week.