The Youngtown State softball team used a pair of five-run innings in each game en route to a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland State, 8-0, 9-2, on Friday afternoon at the YSU Softball Field.

The Penguins improve to 31-11 overall and 24-6 in the Horizon League while the Vikings fall to 10-32 overall and 5-25 in league play. The 31 wins are tied for the second most in a single season and the most victories since the Penguins won 31 in 2017.

In the opener, Nikkis Saibene went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and four runs batted in while Avery Schumacher drove in two runs and went 2-for-3.

Maddi Lusk struck out seven in a complete-game two-hitter to earn her 12th win of the year.

The Penguins blew open the doors early with a five-run first inning on a squeeze bunt by Alex DeLeon, a run-scoring double by Schumacher, a two-run double by Saibene and a sacrifice fly by Elizabeth Birkbeck.

Jillian Jakse led off the bottom of the third with a double down the left-field line and pinch-runner Taylor Boeckmann scored on Schumacher's single down the left field line to give YSU a 6-0 lead.

Saibene belted her seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast to center, to enforce the mercy rule.

In the nightcap, the Penguins scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to turn a 2-1 edge into a 7-1 insurmountable lead on the way to a 9-2 victory.

Conchetta Rinaldi went 2-for-4 with four runs batted in while Lusk went 2-for-4 and scored twice. 

Elle Buffenbarger earned her 16th win of the season by pitching five innings with seven strikeouts and allowing just two hits.

The Penguins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the in the bottom of the first after a bases-loaded walk to Schumacher and a sacrifice fly by Saibene.

After a solo home run by CSU's Sydney Bajusz cut the lead in half in the top of the second, the Penguins exploded for five runs in the bottom of fourth.

Saibene and Grace Cea led off the frame with a pair of singles and Rinaldi clobber a one-out three-run home run to left-center to put the Penguins up, 5-1.

After a pair of two-out singles by Lusk and pinch-hitter Milena Lacatena, Jakse laced a two-run double down the left field line.

Rinaldi drove in Hailey Niederkohr, who tripled, with a single to center in the bottom of the fifth and senior Tatum Christy hit a solo hom run to center field in the bottom of the sixth to end the scoring.

Youngstown State and Cleveland State close out the series, Saturday, May 1. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.