When your team is in the midst of a losing streak and you are in desperate need of conference victories, who are you gonna call?

Your ace.

The Penn State softball team called on its top pitcher this weekend, sophomore Marisa Hanson, to deliver them from a two-game losing skid and even the team's Big Ten record at 4-4. Hanson sparked the Nittany Lions to back-to-back victories in a doubleheader against Wisconsin yesterday, bringing her overall record to 9-7.

The Lions began the weekend by dropping two costly games to conference foe Minnesota on Friday and Saturday. Hanson was on the losing end of Friday's 5-4 decision, giving up five runs on three hits over four and one-third innings.

She again saw action Saturday, entering in relief of starter Missy Beseres in the third.

The sophomore surrendered only one run, but it was not enough as the No. 24 Golden Gophers came away with a 3-2 win.

With a pitching staff that consists of Hanson and three freshmen, Lions' head coach Robin Petrini said she had no choice but to go to her second-year player again yesterday.

"We thought that with Marisa on mound there wouldn't be as much of a threat of a longball, and just more experience," Petrini said.

Hanson returned to the mound for yesterday's first game against Wisconsin and was on fire. The Victoria, Texas native allowed just one run on four hits and struck out six Badgers. The win lifted the Lions' spirits and gave Hanson some much-needed confidence.

"Marisa did a great job in the first game and really set a good tempo," Petrini said. "It was good for her to get a win back under her belt."

But Hanson's work for the weekend did not end there. Petrini went to the sophomore again in the second game against the Badgers in the bottom of the fifth as the Lions held a 2-0 lead. Freshman starting pitcher Tina Skelly had left runners on the corners with no outs, and Hanson was called in from the bullpen.

"She's just got the experience and the nerves to go ahead and settle things down when things might have gotten out of control in a hurry," Petrini said.

After giving up a sacrifice fly which made the score 2-1, Hanson was able to escape the inning without further damage. She went on to pitch two more innings of no-hit ball in relief to earn the save.

"Coming in in relief is big, especially when you're ahead," junior rightfielder Kelley Galligher said. "Her teammates appreciate it."

Petrini had told Hanson to expect to see more playing time as the Lions entered conference play, and that the sophomore should speak up if she was tired. Hanson looked nearly exhausted by the conclusion of the doubleheader, but said she was pitching on adrenaline as her team faced a must-win situation.

"We just knew we had to work hard to stay on top," Hanson said. "We knew we had to win these games to stay up in the Big Ten."