The Lady Statesmen (26-14, 14-2 MCC) swept Midwest Collegiate Conference foe Ashford 14-0 (5 innings) and 1-0 Thursday and then dropped St. Francis (Ill.) 6-2 and Purdue-North Central (Ind.) 7-0 Saturday at the Iowa Wesleyan Betty Sammons Invitational Saturday.

Penn has now won five in a row and 12 of its last 13 since starting the campaign at 14-13.

Penn attacked the Saints early and often in Thursday's opener, outhitting its host 17-3 as seven players had at least two hits.

Tyanna Helton (Jr., Santa Rosa, Calif., Palomar CC) led Penn with a 3-3 showing, including five RBIs and two runs scored. The junior pounded her team-leading seventh home run of the year in the third frame.

Ashley Johnson (Sr., Burlington, Southeastern CC) also had three hits, while Ashley Stream (Fr., Chariton, Chariton HS), Leah Mork (Jr., DeWitt, North Iowa Area CC), Kara Atkins (Fr., Burlington, Burlington HS), Krystle Carr (Sr., Acton, Calif., Paraclete HS), and Cassie Holt (Fr., Muskego, Wis., Muskego HS) each tallied two hits in the win.

Stream had three RBIs and a game-best three runs scored.

Hannah Lugar (Fr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) cruised to the win with her second solo shutout of the campaign. The freshman allowed only three hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Penn struggled at the plate in the second game, but still managed to secure the sweep.

After being kept off the board through five frames, the Lady Statesmen finally scored in the sixth when Stacie Gaskill (Sr., Lake Mills, Lake Mills HS) came home on an error by the Saints.

That proved to be all Johnson needed as she posted her second-career no-hitter (both in 2009). The senior struck out seven with two walks in the victory. Only two Ashford players reached second base.

Johnson, Carr, and Gaskill had one hit each in the second contest.

Penn trailed for the first time in several days on Saturday as St. Francis (Ill.) jumped out to a 2-0 advantage after two innings.

The Lady Statesmen eventually turned on the offense, scoring four runs in the fifth and never looking back. After loading the bases, Mork cleared them and also put herself across home plate with an in-the-park grand slam home run.

The junior added to her amazing power outing with her second roundtripper of the game (third of the year), a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Mork finished 2-4 with six RBIs and two runs scored.

Atkins was also 2-4 in the game.

Allysa Fligg (Sr., Agency, Nebraska-Omaha) claimed the win to move to 11-5 on the season. The senior allowed two runs (both earned) on nine scattered hits (St. Francis left ten on base). She struck out seven with no walks in five innings of work.

Lugar relieved her in the final two frames and picked up her first collegiate save. She allowed two hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Penn concluded the week with an easy win over Purdue-North Central, holding a 13-3 advantage in hits.

The Lady Statesmen scored four quick runs in the first, helped by run-scoring hits by Helton, Atkins, and Devin Bennett (Jr., Overland Park, Kan., Iowa Lakes CC).

Penn added one run each in the second, third, and seventh innings.

Carr was the offensive hero by going 3-4 with two runs, while Stream, Helton, Atkins, and Hailey Dreyer (Jr., Twin Lakes, Wis., Dubuque) all had two hits each. Stream recorded two RBIs.

Lugar improved to 6-5 by pitching two scoreless frames on two hits (one strikeout). Johnson relieved her in the third and was nearly unhittable once again, shutting out her opponents on only one hit. The senior struck out 11 without walking a batter.

Next: Penn travels to Davenport Monday to face St. Ambrose in an MCC doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.