Two wins is what it will take for the Penn State softball team to clinch a spot in the Big Ten tournament.

That seems simple enough, except the Nittany Lions only have two games left in their season.

Penn State (29-20, 8-8 in Big Ten) needs to keep the momentum going after a sweep of Kent State earlier this week.

If the Lions can pull off another sweep of Ohio State (25-23, 4-10) they will get that last spot in the conference tournament instead of Northwestern.

If, however, Penn State can only manage a split with Ohio State, Northwestern will have to lose at least one game of its series with Illinois this weekend.

Hitting has been the Achilles' heel of the Lions in the Big Ten this season. They rank next to last in the conference, hitting just .199. They have managed just a .274 on-base percentage as well.

The problematic hitting won't get any rest this weekend. Ohio State carries a 1.60 team earned run average. That number does swell to 2.65 in conference play, though. Penn State will likely face the Buckeyes' aces, Kristi DeVries and Katie Chain.

DeVries is 11-8 on the year, posting a 1.31 earned run average. Chain is 11-12 so far, with an earned run average of 1.80. Big Ten games have been another story, however, where DeVries is 2-3 and Chain has struggled to 2-6.

They have been hurt by a Buckeye defense that is fielding just .947, last in the Big Ten.

Countering these two on the hill for the Lions will likely be Marisa Hanson (13-8, 1.14) and Shana Riggleman (10-3, 1.81). Both pitchers have been consistent in the Big Ten. Hanson holds even at 3-3 while seeing her miniscule earned run average jump to 2.42. Riggleman is 4-2 in the conference with a 1.88 earned run average.

-- By Zak Young