UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion softball team took a significant step forward for the future over the weekend in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.

Going 2-2 in NCAA Regional action at Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State went toe-to-toe with 12th-ranked Oregon in Regional final action on Sunday afternoon before the Ducks plated three unearned runs to earn a spot in the Super Regionals.

Penn State's weekend was an outstanding learning experience for a squad filled with young talent.  In Sunday's final game against Oregon, the Nittany Lions started five sophomores and two freshmen.  Playing in the postseason provides experience that Penn State hopes will carry over into the 2012 campaign.

"I hope the seniors are proud of where they brought us this year," Coach Petrini said.  "For the rest of the team, they have a taste of it. I hope that taste is not satisfied so they come back hungrier this next year."

The Lions will have some big shoes to fill on the mound next season.  With fifth year senior Jackie Hill graduating, Penn State will be replacing one of the program's all-time best pitchers.  Hill was a special breed of player.

"When she came back off of her rib injury two years ago against Iowa and pitched 14 innings one day and hadn't pitched in month I knew that this was something special," Coach Petrini said.  "This was one of the toughest kids I've ever coached that competes every time she's out on the field. She is probably the toughest competitor I've ever coached in my 20-something odd years of coaching."

Simply put, the San Jose, Calif., native was incredible in her final four games as a Nittany Lion.  Hill pitched 28.1 innings over the course of three days at the NCAA Regionals, including 18.2 alone in two games on Saturday.  The blisters on her feet when she walked into the postgame press conference after willing the Lions to a 16-inning victory over Fordham on Saturday night were a fitting representation of Hill's dedication to the program.

And despite pitching the equivalent of more than two and a half games on Saturday, Hill trotted out to the circle in a relief effort on Sunday afternoon.  She allowed just one earned run over 28.1 innings during the NCAA Regionals.  Filling those shoes will not be easy for Penn State.

"We came out this weekend and we all were just happy to be out there and playing," Hill said. "It was a renewed feeling of this is why we like to play. It was a good weekend and I think that the girls that are still here are going to want to get to that point again because I think we all had a good weekend."

With a young group of Lions set to return in 2012, Penn State has a lot to build on after hosting NCAA competition for the first time in 28 seasons.

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