In softball, a game dominated by statistics, numbers can often be the most daunting aspect of an opponent.
Cornell (25-7, 7-1 Ivy League) has won eight straight en route to its Ancient Eight-best overall record.
Penn coach Leslie King is unfazed by the Big Red, whom her team will play in back-to-back doubleheaders this weekend.
"They don't play a tough non-league season, at all," she said.
The Big Red's games leading up to conference play included Norfolk State, Akron University and Manhattan College, who are a combined 30-65. Cornell's Ivy play has also seen some close calls, such as their 2-1 extra-winnings win against Brown.
The Quakers (18-12, 5-3 Ivy) may not be trembling in their cleats quite yet.
But after a long week of prolonged road trips and four tough losses to Harvard and crosstown Temple, Cornell will prove a challenging test to Penn's resilience.
"[This weekend] will be a good judge of what kind of character and fight we have," King said.
Though the Quakers won last year's season series against the Big Red, 3-1, Penn hasn't always enjoyed such success.
"There's a history of them beating the pants off of us," King said, referring to her first four years with the club - four years without a single win against Cornell.
The Big Red's roster includes sophomore infielder Alyson Intihar, who was named to the ECAC All-Star Team last year, and recent Ivy League Pitcher of the week Ali Tomlinson, who boasts a 9-4 record and a 2.65 earned runs average.
Their biggest threat is Elise Menake, who has belted 10 home-runs while posting an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.212.
But, they will have to face the Quakers' freshman ace Jessie Lupardus (14-5), who King said will see a significant amount of time in the circle this weekend. Though the young pitcher was charged with three losses this week, she has pitched well in all but one outing and leads the Ivies with a 1.03 earned run average.
The bullpen, comprised of tri-captain Emily Denstedt and freshmen Taylor Tieman and Tory Satagaj, will also have to pitch more innings than usual this weekend - four back-to-back games against one opponent won't be easy on the arm.
"I would like to be able to use all four pitchers in some capacity this weekend," King said.
And if the pitching staff can neutralize the Big Red's bats, King isn't worried about being stopped at the plate.
"Their pitchers haven't ever been overpowering," she said.
"They let their hitters do all the work."
All four games will be played at home on Warren Field, where the Quakers hope to snap Cornell's eight-game surge, thus beginning to even out the record against their long-time rival - and perhaps show that numbers aren't everything.
