Penn (22-14, 12-2 MCC) lost the opener 5-4 to snap its season-high seven-game winning streak, but rebounded to claim the nightcap 7-4 (9 innings). The Lady Statesmen and Grand View (20-12, 10-4 MCC) also split a twinbill two weeks ago in Oskaloosa. The split keeps Penn a full two games ahead of the Vikings in the standings and 3 1/2 games ahead of third-place Clarke (8-5 MCC).

Grand View scored the day's first runs with two in the bottom of the first of the opener. Penn responded two frames later when Tyanna Helton (Jr., Santa Rosa, Calif., Palomar CC) doubled to score Leah Mork (Jr., DeWitt, North Iowa Area CC).

The hosts added another run in the fourth, but the Lady Statesmen had an answer as Helton left the park with a solo shot, her team-leading sixth home run of the year.

Penn then claimed its first lead of the day at 5-4 in the sixth as Ashley Stream (Fr., Chariton, Chariton HS) singled home Krystle Carr (Sr., Acton, Calif., Paraclete HS) and Mork hit a double to score Hailey Dreyer (Jr., Twin Lakes, Wis., Dubuque) with the go-ahead run.

Unfortunately, pitcher Hannah Lugar (Fr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) had a rough sixth inning in relief of starter Ashley Johnson (Sr., Burlington, Southeastern CC) and gave up the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Helton led off the seventh inning with a single and was pinchrun for by Stacie Gaskill (Sr., Lake Mills, Lake Mills HS), who was then sacrificed to second by Johnson. Carr was intentionally walked in the following at bat, but Penn failed to bring home any runs and fell 5-4.

Helton (3-4) and Carr (3-3) topped the Lady Statesmen offense that produced 11 hits, but unfortunately struggled to tally those runners with nine left on base. Mork was 2-4 in the loss.

Lugar fell to 4-5 with the setback, while Johnson, who pitched the first five innings, allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits. She struck out one with one walk.

After three scoreless innings by each squad in the nightcap, Penn finally jumped out on top in the fourth inning courtesy of an RBI double by Kara Atkins (Fr., Burlington, Burlington HS) that scored Stream and a sacrifice fly by Johnson that brought home Helton.

The Lady Statesmen extended the advantage to 3-0 in the sixth frame on an RBI single by Helton that plated Stream.

Grand View was not about to make it easy for Penn, however, as it tied the game at 3-3 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh to force extra innings.

Atkins put her team on top again with another run-scoring hit in the eighth, this time a double that brought home Stream.

Unfortunately, the Vikings had yet another answer with a run in the bottom half to extend the matchup to the ninth and final inning.

Penn finally put the game out of reach in the ninth as Dreyer singled to score Devin Bennett (Jr., Overland Park, Kan., Iowa Lakes CC) with the go-ahead run. The Lady Statesmen tacked on two more insurance runs as Stream doubled in Dreyer and Helton singled home Stream. Stream's four runs scored is a season high for a Penn player in 2009.

Grand View challenged in the bottom of the ninth by putting two on and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Whitney Link struck out swinging to end the double dip.

Stream paced the visitors as she was a perfect 4-4 at the plate, while Helton and Dreyer were both 2-4 and Atkins was 2-5. Penn is hitting its stride offensively with four straight games with double-digit hits and eight games in a row with at least seven base knocks.

Allysa Fligg (Sr., Agency, Nebraska-Omaha), who is now 10-5, tossed all nine frames against Grand View to become the first Lady Statesmen pitcher in 2009 to reach double digits in wins. The senior allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits. She struck out a season-high ten against three walks.

Next: Penn travels to Clinton Thursday to face Ashford in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.