When the softball team stepped onto Lady Lion Field for its first home games of spring, it was greeted with a chilling wind that stuck around for the duration of the games.

It wasn't enough to freeze the Lady Lions, however, as they iced St. Francis (Pa.) in a doubleheader, 2-1, 15-1.

In the first game, Penn State (4-8) began the scoring in the third inning as Allison Nave came home off a fielder's choice by Joyce Tinner. St. Francis quickly responded in the fifth as Lisa Whitford scored when Lady Lion pitcher Kim Corbin mishandled a hit by catcher Julie Bodnar.

Then, with one out and the bases loaded, Red Flash pitcher Lexie Chamberlain hit a fly that appeared to land fair, but which the umpire called foul. Chamberlain then flew out, as did Brenda Orrick after her, and the threat was over.

St. Francis' Rhonda Kemp got to first in the seventh with one out, but Bodnar hit into a double play. Lori Nierer opened the Lady Lions' half of the seventh with a single. She went to second on an error by the first baseman and to third when Nave walked. With Kellie Goodman at the plate, Bodnar dropped a Chamberlain pitch and Nierer sprinted home with the winning run.

The second half of the doubleheader wasn't nearly as close. Goodman scored a single run in the first game, however, the second game turned into a nightmare for St. Francis.

Chamberlain, who was still pitching, seemed to be feeling the effects of eight innings on the mound.

"She seemed to have a control problem," Coach Sue Rankin said.

Denise Oswald started the scoring, as she singled, then advanced to second off a Nave single. Marie Hawkins produced another single, loading the bases, and a single by Goodman sent Oswald home. A triple from Dena Tauriello gave the Lady Lions three more runs.

Joyce Tinner sacrificed Tauriello home. Corbin tripled and scored on a Red Flash error. The inning finally ended as Oswald grounded out to the pitcher, and the St. Francis bench, which until then sounded like a cheerleading tryout, became deathly silent.

"They knew they could play better," Rankin said of the contrast between the two games. "They hit better, and they made the offense work."

St. Francis' Kristine MacDonald scored her team's lone run in the third inning. She was hit by a pitch from Ellie Traino, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a walk. Traino and the Lady Lion defense held firm and St. Francis' scoring for the day was finished.

"When I was cold, I wasn't hitting my targets," Traino said. "Once I got warm, I could hit my targets. It's hard to warm up when it's this cold out. I should have thrown between (the second and third) innings."

St. Francis coach Tom Cicero brought in Marge Mattis to relieve Chamberlain, but by then it was too late. Penn State scored three more runs in the third, and five runs in the fourth. Three St. Francis outs later, the 10-run rule took effect, ending the game after five innings.