Ashley Esparza chalked up a pitching win last night thanks to run support from a somewhat-unlikely source.

Ashley Esparza.

Esparza was a force to be reckoned with on offense and defense, as she drove in three of her team's five runs while accounting for seven strikeouts as a pitcher.

"It's an odd feeling, but it's two different mindsets," Esparza said. "You try to keep them separate, so if you have a bad inning pitching, you don't bring it up to the plate."

Esparza's pitching performance was old-hat, but the aspect that made her offensive performance even more special was where she lined up in the batting order. The power hitter was normally positioned at clean-up or one or two spots above.

Yesterday, she was batting No. 2 after Penn State coach Robin Petrini decided to plug the California native in at her former high school spot.

"You always look for someone who can bunt, and that's not necessarily her forte, but she can get it down," Petrini said. "She came through big today. Those couple RBI in two different situations, those are some big pieces of hitting."

Esparza flashed some of her usual versatility, too. Whether it was playing first base or standing on the pitcher's circle, the 5-foot-9 sophomore seemed very comfortable. Standing on first base as a runner, however, was another story.

She's normally substituted for a pinch runner but was left on this series. And, in the first game, it showed -- she was caught stealing twice.

"I usually don't get to run, and running doesn't bother me too much. But hitting at the two-hole, there's really no opportunity to pinch run," Esparza said.

According to Esparza, the first time was during a "pickle" play when Esparza ran in an attempt to force the runner on third base to score. The second was during a hit-and-run call.

It made no difference, though, as Esparza finished the sweep over Pittsburgh by going 4-for-7 with four RBI -- and, on her third try, a run to boot.

"She's always been one of our more dominant players, so we expect that of her," teammate Jen Acunto said.

Esparza said she enjoys pitching and hitting equally, but added different ingredients are vital for success in each area. So, while Esparza is on her toes tossing the ball, she said she has a tendency to solely rely on her instincts in the batter's box.

"I couldn't even tell you what I think when I go up to bat, so that's normally one thing I have as an advantage -- I don't think about anything," she said with a smile.