It seems that just when the Penn State softball team gets on a roll, something stands in the way.
The Nittany Lions (19-17, 4-4 Big Ten) had been on a three-game tear, with two games against Wisconsin last weekend and a 1-0 win over Kent State Tuesday that put the team two games over .500 for the first time this year. Then, after an impressive hitting display against the Golden Flash to start the second game of the doubleheader, the contest was called off due to a rainstorm.
Now the Lions will attempt to reach their longest winning streak of the season as they take to the road for some crucial Big Ten matchups. They will take on Northwestern (29-7, 5-1) today at 4 and tomorrow at 2 in Evanston, Ill. Then the Lions will head to Iowa City to take on No. 20 Iowa (25-12, 6-0) in a doubleheader Sunday at 10 a.m.
Both teams have had outstanding starts to their seasons, with the Wildcats off to their best conference record since 1987. The Hawkeyes are back on top of the Big Ten standings again after winning the conference tournament championship last season.
"Every weekend's a dogfight and this weekend will be no different," Lions' head coach Robin Petrini said of the Big Ten competition.
The Lions' skipper said that although Northwestern has gotten out to a strong start, they have yet to take on the elite of the conference. The Wildcats' five conference victories have come against Indiana, Purdue and Illinois, the three teams languishing in the Big Ten's basement.
"You have to look at who they've been playing," Petrini said. "Let's see what happens when they go through Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Let's see what their record is when they go through those guys."
Northwestern can still be viewed as a dangerous team. Wildcats' head coach Kate Drohan said her team's pitching staff, led by junior Lauren Schwendima's 10-2 record and 2.59 ERA, has propelled Northwestern's strong start.
"I think the main reason is our pitchers," Drohan said. "They've put us in position to win every game in the conference."
Penn State's weekend will only get tougher on Sunday against Iowa. The Hawkeyes are led by a combination of seniors, pitcher Kristi Hanks and first baseman Alicia Gerlach. Hanks, a NFCA All-American and the conference's Pitcher of the Year last season, is off to a 12-8 record with 112 strikeouts. Gerlach is ninth in the Big Ten with a .371 batting average and was named the Big Ten Player of the Week.
Iowa, who appeared in the Women's College World Series last year, has won five straight. Still, Petrini is not concerned. The Lions split last year's series against the Hawkeyes and beat Hanks 3-0.
"I know that we are not intimidated by Iowa in the least," Petrini said. "I think other teams in the conference might be."
Lions' left fielder Megan Humphrey was a part of the Lions' recent winning streak, scoring the winning run in Wednesday's victory against Kent State. Humphrey, hitting .259 with four home runs and 14 RBI's, also said the Lions will not be overwhelmed.
"If our hitting's on like it's been, we have the pitching, we have the defense," Humphrey said. "I think we should be okay."
