Penn State softball head coach Robin Petrini got what she wanted from her starting pitching last night against St. Francis.

Until yesterday, the Nittany Lion starters had combined to pitch six complete games and Petrini hoped her pitchers could begin finishing their own games.

Against the Red Flash, juniors Ashley Esparza and Jenn Reynolds each dominated in the circle and shutdown the St. Francis bats while twirling a pair of complete games.

"Ashley and J.R., I was glad for them that they had good outings," Petrini said. "Because they needed good outings and they both pitched great."

Esparza started the night off by tossing a five-inning, complete-game mercy-rule two-hitter. She controlled the Red Flash lineup by changing speeds and hitting spots as she struck out seven and walked none. Esparza said she felt in control as she only allowed one runner to pass second base the entire night.

"When I was throwing a couple weeks ago, I didn't really feel 100 percent," Esparza said. "But I felt really good today."

Not to be outdone, Reynolds pitched an equally impressive game in the nightcap. The Lions never got to the mercy rule, but Reynolds didn't seem to mind. She used the extra innings to mow down even more St. Francis batters and run up her strikeout total. She scattered four hits and, like Esparza, only allowed one runner to reach third base.

Since she's normally a groundball pitcher, Reynolds said she was surprised with her season-high nine strikeouts. But Petrini said she could tell Reynolds was going to get some whiffs because Reynolds had masterful control of the strike zone.

"J.R. worked the corners tonight, and when [she does that], she's going to get some strikeouts," Petrini said. "She had pinpoint accuracy tonight, and that's what she needs."

Reynolds said both pitchers have been working hard in practice to build endurance so that they will be able to finish games down the line.

As the Big Ten season picks up and batters become more disciplined, endurance from starting pitchers will become even more of a key for the Lions. Penn State's level of success is dependent upon its pitching and if the starters are finishing their games, it usually means they are doing their job in the circle.

"It feels good [to both get complete-game shutouts]," Esparza said. "It's always nice to finish your own game and as the season goes on, we're going to have to do it, so it's better to start now than later."