Going into yesterday's doubleheader against the fiesty Golden Flash, the Penn State softball team had some expectations.

All of its recent games with Kent State have been close, and yesterday's results proved no different. Three runs in each of the games were good enough for the Nittany Lions to continue their seven-game winning streak.

The scouting showed that the crutch for yesterday's opponent was its pitching. Freshman Kylie Reynolds has exceeded expectations in her first year in the circle. Reynolds came into Happy Valley with an ERA less than one.

The Lion lineup hit the rookie, and attacked the Golden Flash at its core. Penn State racked up eight hits, including three doubles and two home runs. All of its runs in the first inning came off longballs from junior Hollee Haines and sophomore Shana Madura.

"If you would've told me we were going to hit home runs to get ahead, I would've never [believed it]," junior Ashley Esparza said. "These girls are really good, and the first girl did really well."

The second game bared similar results with quick innings and big blasts. After Kent State jumped to a one-run lead in the first, Esparza hit a dinger of her own worth two runs in the bottom frame.

The three home runs hit yesterday were uncharacteristic of a team that has generated most of its runs with getting runners on base and being successful in waving them home. The Lions' 17 home runs land them in last place in the Big Ten.

"We typically haven't been a home run-hitting team this year," Penn State assistant coach Jen McIntyre said. "To hit throughout the lineup and get some big production like that was huge for us today. It takes a little pressure off the mound, and today it was really nice."

Against a top out-of-conference opponent, the Lions needed big run production to get past Kent State. The pitching combination of Esparza and junior Jenn Reynolds kept the Golden Flash offense at bay while Penn State piled up the runs.

In a program that has been pitching oriented in the last few years, the Lions have been working toward producing runs to support the usual solid pitching. With Reynolds and Esparza throwing well, the Lion offense has been able to create a decent enough cushion to come away victorious.

Making up for its poor showing in the home run list, Penn State appears second in the Big Ten in batting average. The Lion lineup boasts seven hitters that are batting over .300, led by sophomore Danielle Kinley with an average well over .400.

Petrini has told her players to expect switches around the lineup, but it's a luxury that a lot of other teams can't have at their disposal. With more than a handful of dangerous bats, opposing pitchers have a hard time finding a weak spot in the order.

The Kent State pitching staff kept both of the games close, but the Lions were able to get big hits when it counted. Although they didn't expect to knock out as many home runs against the Golden Flash talent, the Lions went into the series with bottled-up aggression and were able to produce in an unexpected, big way.

"It was hard because we haven't played in a week and a half, and they're a good team," Haines said. "We knew we would have competition coming in so we just tried to be aggressive, and that's what we've done all year."