It's a lot easier the second time around, or at least that's what the Lady Lions hope when they go up against Ohio State for the second time this season.

Maybe the Lady Lions need a roadtrip. Their only two wins in the Big Ten have come on the road, so traveling to Ohio State could actually be a blessing in disguise.

In their first meeting at Lady Lion field, Penn State was overmatched in just about every aspect of the game.

"Sometimes we feel slightly intimidated at the level of play that the Big Ten takes to compete," said coach Sue Rankin. "I think by now we have overcome that fear, and are looking to make a name for ourselves."

Rankin also said that their youth is what keeps the team going.

"This team could have rolled over and died three weeks ago, but they didn't," said Rankin.

"Through all of this, they have kept their spirits up and never gotten down on themselves. That's a tribute to them."

The Lady Lions don't want to pay any more tributes to Buckeye pitching.

The Ohio State pitching combo of junior Stacy Dickens and sophomore Krinon Clark kept the Lady Lion bats in check for most of the doubleheader.

Dickens pitched a one-hitter in the first game. Only Rebecca Wisnoff's single with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning kept Dickens from picking up the no-hitter.

"We've seen this team once now," said coach Rankin. "We know what to expect, it will all be a matter of execution. If we are able to eliminate the mistakes and start to hit the ball again, we will be in the game until the end, and have a chance to win."

Not counting last weekend's conference games versus Northwestern, Ohio State stands at 6-4 in the Big Ten and 16-21 overall, good enough for fifth place in the Big Ten.

"We are a much better team than our record indicates," Ohio State coach Gail Davenport. "We are just so inconsistent that we can't put three or four wins togther in a row."

Davenport also said that her pitching staff has been the driving force behind this year's team.

"They ignite the team," said Davenport. "When they pitch well, the team responds with clutch hitting, and we stay in the ballgame. Our problems arise when the pitchers struggle, and the hitters doen't come through with that clutch hit."

"We know what we have to do," said Wisnoff. "It's just a matter of going out and getting the job done."