It's easy to label a loss as "devastating," but members of the Penn State softball team seemed to take their first loss in 17 games in stride.

After winning the first four games at the Pirate Invitational, the Nittany Lions fell to No. 6 California yesterday by a score of 5-0.

Penn State coach Robin Petrini said the loss "didn't concern her that much," and catcher Hollee Haines also brushed off the blemish.

"They'll always be a great team, so I don't feel bad about losing," Haines said.

Penn State's four-win weekend came on the shoulders of Haines, who batted around .400 and responded with clutch hits in virtually every game -- most notably Saturday's game-winning home run vs. East Carolina.

With the score deadlocked 1-1, Haines stepped up to the plate in bottom of the sixth and took a monstrous swing. The contact was there, but she wasn't sure if it would clear the fence -- it was a line drive.

Needless to say, she was excited when the ball made it over the center field wall and Penn State won, 2-1.

Saturday's other game ended in extra innings when Jen Acunto smacked a two-run homer, giving the Lions the 4-2 victory over Coastal Carolina.

"It's not nerve-racking," pitcher Missy Beseres said about the close games. "It's not over until the last out, and we never really feel out of the game."

Beseres, a fifth-year senior, didn't hesitate to call this year's squad the most talented she's been on, adding the chemistry's never been better.

The Lions have an 18-4 record, their best start in more than eight years.

So it would be difficult to debate Beseres, whose team also boasts a win over the then-No. 1 team in the country.

Obviously, the team may have been a bit upset from watching its 16-game win streak come to an end, but Beseres was upbeat. She said she was pleased with the team's performance since it played a high level of competition.

"Teams are going to start recognizing us," she said.

"We're going to fight until the very end. So even though the streak ended, I can imagine another one is getting started."

Penn State defeated Kent State, 5-3, and Buffalo, 6-0, on Friday to start the tournament on a high note.

With only a handful of non-conference games left on the schedule, Penn State's non-conference season is all but over.

The Big Ten season will get underway in less than a week -- as will the Lions' home debut.

After 22 consecutive away games, Penn State is slated to host St. Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday.