After losing 4-3 in extra innings Friday, players on the Penn State baseball team turned to their coach for some advice.

"Don't dwell on what happened and get ready for the next game," Nittany Lion coach Robbie Wine told them.

With that mentality, Penn State (17-10, 5-3 Big Ten) bounced back from that defeat to win its next three games against Northwestern (13-12, 4-4 Big Ten). The Lions won the last three contests by scores of 4-2, 2-1 and 3-0.

"We're a little disappointed we didn't come out with four [wins], but you just have to keep trying, keep plugging away," Wine said.

Virtually every game came down to the wire, as both pitching staffs were phenomenal during the weekend. Penn State's Alan Stidfole even pitched his second straight complete-game shutout yesterday -- he hasn't allowed a run in 30 innings.

"Everything is just working for me right now," Stidfole said. "I'm hitting my spots well."

Stidfole tossed a career-high 13 K's, but he did have one close call in the bottom of the eighth.

With no outs and the bases loaded, Clint Eury was warming up in the bullpen in case Stidfole needed some relief.

Turns out he didn't.

Stidfole struck out the subsequent batter, forced the next into an infield pop-out and then sent the third hitter packing.

"It was probably easier to keep him in there than to put someone else there," Wine said. "A guy in the game has a feel for the hitters and the way the game's going."

It was an exciting finish, but still not as narrow as one of Saturday's wins.

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader consisted of a 1-1 stalemate -- until the 14th inning. The contest lasted 3 hours, 41 minutes.

The Wildcats threatened in the bottom of the 13th frame, as Northwestern freshman Jake Owens was thrown out at home. The Lions took advantage in the next inning, however, when redshirt freshman outfielder Brian Ernst sent a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Lance Thompson.

Wine said it was starting to get dark and believed the game would have been suspended if it lasted one more inning.

Overall, Penn State turned in its strongest pitching weekend of the season. The Lions' collective ERA dropped from 4.45 to 3.79 after the low-scoring series.

"To not come out with that first win is tough," Stidfole said. "But to come away with the next three, that shows a lot about our team."