When looking to right the ship last week after its slightly disappointing 1-4 start, the Penn State softball team turned to the exuberance of its youth.

The youngsters responded admirably and Penn State compiled an impressive 9-3 record on its way to winning the UCF Invitational title and playing extremely well in the Speedline Invitational tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The freshmen did not improve Penn State's record to 10-7 all by themselves. They received plenty of help from senior pitcher Missy Beseres.

Penn State scored five or more runs six times in its last 11 games. The offensive onslaught was led by freshmen Hollee Haines, Jen Acunto, Ashley Asparza and Jenn Reynolds. They played significant roles in Penn State's hot streak, but none loomed larger than Haines, who hit .388.

Haines was especially explosive during the Nittany Lions' four games at the UCF Invitational, at which she drove in nine runs, including five in an 8-0 victory against Eastern Kentucky. When Haines' production slowed during the Speedline Invitational, her teammates filled the void. Esparza hit over .400 for the week, and both Acunto and Reynolds improved their averages on the season to above .380.

Reynolds and Esparza also teamed with Beseres to give Penn State an excellent presence in the circle. Esparza has the highest ERA of the group at 1.75.

Beseres' 3-2 record in the two tournaments does not do justice to her strong performances. In her first loss, the junior gave up just one hit in the first four innings to South Florida, but ended up getting the loss in extra innings. Her second loss also came in extra innings, 1-0 to Oklahoma State. On the season, Beseres is 5-4 and has 71 strikeouts in 51.1 innings.