Down by three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Penn State appeared to be headed toward an upset loss at the hands of St. Francis in Game 1 of the teams' doubleheader.

However, Ashley Esparza stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and, with one swing, changed the complexion of the Nittany Lions' home opener. Esparza launched a Laura Caldwell offering over the centerfield fence, giving the Nittany Lions a 5-4 lead they would not relinquish.

"It was huge," outfielder Danielle Kinley said of the team's comeback win. "We've got a pretty big win streak going and to break that on a game that we didn't play our best would be unfortunate, so it was really cool to see us come from behind."

While Esparza recognized the immediate importance of her hit, she also realized that it carried over into the back end of the doubleheader.

"It was a good hit and we were behind," Esparza said of her grand slam. "It was something we needed and it gave us momentum heading into the second game."

Esparza would also play a large part in Penn State's 9-1 win in Game 2, pitching all six innings while giving up just two hits and striking out nine. The win was Penn State's 11th straight.

The Lions (23-8) played the game without All-Region shortstop Jen Acunto, who missed the game with a knee injury and concurrent suspension. Her replacement, Kayce Zielinski, went a combined 4-for-6 with three RBIs in the two games.

Penn State was able to take a commanding 5-0 lead in Game 2 thanks to some heads-up baserunning by Kinley and Desi Giordano. With Kinley on third base and Giordano on second in the fifth inning, a passed ball allowed both players to score thanks to St. Francis' inattentiveness.

"[Kinley] was off like a shot, she read it perfectly," Petrini said. "When Desi came around third, I saw the catcher laying on the ground and the pitcher was walking away. It was good baserunning by her."

Kinley noted that the play was an example of the team's baserunning practice paying off.

"It's one of the parts of the game you don't see in the stats, but it's very important and can score you runs," Kinley said.

After playing 31 non-conference games, Penn State will finally begin Big Ten play this weekend.

"We're ready," Esparza said. "It's something that preseason's all about. We play for conference, so we're as ready as we're going to be."