Highland Heights, KY-The Cleveland State softball team swept both games of a doubleheader from Northern Kentucky on Saturday, taking their third straight series to open conference play and avenging yesterday's loss in the series opener in the process. The Vikings handed NKU their first two conference losses of the season and moved into a three-way tie for first place in the standings with the Norse and Robert Morris at 7-2.
 
Emma Gilkerson had a huge day at the plate hitting three home runs combined in the two games. She clubbed two in the first game, a solo shot in the third and a two-run shot in the sixth which accounted for three of the four Cleveland State runs in the 4-3 win. Peyton Mueller Stenz knocked in Sydney Shammo with an RBI single in the first for the first run of the game.
 
Melissa Holzopfel tossed a complete game allowing just three hits and striking out nine. She also logged a complete game in the second game as she pitched all 14 innings on Saturday. Holzopfel allowed just two earned runs on six hits while adding seven more strikeouts to her total of 16 on the afternoon.
 
Cleveland State won the second game of the day 6-2 with all six runs coming in one half inning. The Vikings scored all six with two outs in the inning as back-to-back doubles from Brooke Albaugh and Shammo plated the first three runs before Gilkerson closed the scoring with her third home run of the day, a three-run shot to dead center field which made the score 6-1.
 
NKU added a run in the third and one more in the seventh but Holzopfel was able to limit the damage and secure the three-run victory. Cleveland State returns to action on Friday at Viking Field as Detroit Mercy comes to town for a three-game weekend series.