It may not have been a Big Ten showdown, but when you haven't had a decent showing in recent memory, every little bit helps.

Penn State pitchers Aaron Tressler and Justin Nash combined to throw eight innings without allowing an earned run in the Nittany Lions 5-2 win over St. Bonaventure yesterday at Beaver field. The Lions' success on the mound did not stop there, as Tyler Wingerd picked up the save with deft work in the ninth inning.

"I was pleased with the pitching today," Penn State coach Joe Hindelang said.

The end result may have looked pretty, but Tressler gave pause to the Lions early on. In the first inning, the Bonnies hung two runs on the board after costly errors by Tressler and third baseman Arin Gelletly. By the second inning, the scorecard looked almost identical to Sunday's at Ohio State, when Tressler was shelled for five runs and could only get five outs.

After walking Ken Ryan on four pitches to load the bases with one out, Tressler survived the inning, striking out the next batter he faced, third baseman Mike Tegeler before getting centerfielder Dan Dennison to fly out to left field.

That showing proved noteworthy as Tressler cruised through the next three innings without allowing a hit, finishing with five strikeouts on the afternoon.

"I was kind of upset but I try not to get rattled," Tressler said. "I was sure I had good control, I was OK...after the second inning getting out clean, I knew I could get through the rest of the game."

Tressler has spent the past few days working on his mechanics in the bullpen and hopes yesterday's start could signify a turnabout in the season.

He was not the only Penn State pitcher to gain confidence with the win. Coming into the season, senior Justin Nash was expected to help team ace Mike Watson anchor a young Lions' staff. However, his outings so far had been marred by arm trouble that eventually led to mechanical breakdowns.

While Nash says his arm still isn't as strong as he would desire, he performed admirably yesterday, tossing three hitless innings in relief.

Perhaps more important for the righthander, Nash had his curveball breaking wickedly, using it to polish off two of his three strikeouts. Nash found this especially comforting as he looks to return to the rotation despite an inability to regularly find his 90-mph velocity.

"I feel like today was a good job of gauging what I can do when I'm pitching well," Nash said. "Today I was able to relax."

Penn State pitching coach Randy Ford was impressed with the work of his two struggling starters. He stressed the importance of both having good outings and getting them out of the game with their confidence intact. What is even less clear for team is how these two fit into a rotation that has undergone more ups and downs than Gary Sheffield's public image.

"With Aaron's and Justin's performances, that puts them right back in the hopper," Ford said.