DeKALB, Ill. - Western Michigan softball took a five-run lead into the bottom of the fourth but the home Huskies battled back with 12 unanswered over the next three innings.

The loss snapped the Broncos' five-year streak of starting the Mid-American Conference season with a win.  Prior to today, WMU's last conference-season opening loss came in 2007, 5-2, to Central Michigan.

Melissa Palmer, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, led off WMU's four-run third inning with a single to left center field.  Christina Pigozzi (3-for-4) followed with an infield single to third.  Sabrina Gamboa reached on a fielder's choice but all runners wer safe to load the bases.  Diana Patterson doubled down the right field line, plating a pair of runs.

Jenny Rohn singled back to right field to plate the Broncos' third run of the fram and Caty Pixley reached on an error to plate the fourth.

Palmer led off the next inning with a base hit to left and, again, Pigozzi followed with a base hit as well.  Gamboa made it three hits in a row.  Palmer scored on a fielding error in left field to put WMU up, 5-0.  Despite the lead, it could have been more as the Broncos stranded seven runners on base, including three in the first.

Northern Illinois' comeback started with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth.  The Huskies tied the score and took the lead for good with six runs on three hits, including a grand slam in the home half of the sixth.

WMU went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.  Starting pitcher Becca Shemberger didn't give up a hit until the fifth, but was in the circle when the first three runs scored for NIU, unearned.

The two teams will conclude the two-game series tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT.