NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Home runs from Dani Devlin and Katelyn Roy lead the Northern Kentucky University softball team to a 10-4 win over Tennessee State and a doubleheader split in nonconference action on Thursday afternoon.
 
Dani Devlin's three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference for the Norse in the opener. Katelyn Roy led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam. All told eight Norse batters shared in the 12 hits recorded.
 
After three innings of hitless ball from Ashlynn Roberts, Tennessee State broke through for the game's first run in the bottom of the fourth after back-to-back singles from Lauren Dreitlein and Kate Morris scored Kailey Richard, who walked to lead off the frame.
 
The Norse got a runner in scoring position in each of the first five innings, and finally cashed one in to tie the game in the fifth when Dani Devlin walked and took advantage of two wild pitches to come around the horn and tie the game.
 
The Tigers answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Danica Gleason's one-out single to right field started the rally before Courtney Geralds reached on a bunt single, allowing Gleason to move to third on an error on the play. Richard drove in the first run on a single down the left-field line and Morris added two more on a double to center.
 
Three-straight base hits keyed a Norse response in the top of the sixth inning. Kate Bartolovich led things off with a single before being erased trying to take an extra base on a single by Nicolette Hayes. Roberts then stepped up to help her own cause with a double to put two runners in scoring position for Alex Caudill, who brought Hayes home with a sacrifice fly. Allie Conner and Sydney Ferrante followed with back-to-back singles, Conner's plating Roberts, before Dani Devlin launched a three-run bomb to the opposite field to give the Norse a 6-4 lead.
 
Roy added to the Norse lead in the seventh inning with a two-out grand slam, her fourth round-tripper of the season, to give the Norse their final score.
 
Roberts went the distance in the circle to improve to 1-4 on the year, scattering four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out one in the contest. The loss fell to Jasmine Matchen, who gave up seven runs on 10 hits in six innings while striking out three to go to 1-2 on the year.
 
Game 2 saw both teams jump out of the gates quickly offensively. Bartolovich picked up an RBI-double and Hayes followed with a two-run single in the top of the first inning before Joselynn Yates answered with a three-run home run, her first of the season. The Tigers threatened to keep the inning going, as an error, a fielder's choice and a passed ball put two more in scoring position before Devlin showed off her arm, picking off Lindsey Burgess at third base to end the inning with the score tied at 3-3.
 
Bartolovich continued her hot hitting in the third inning with a two-out solo shot to centerfield, her first collegiate home run, to put the Norse back in front, 4-3, but Tennessee State had the answer in the bottom of the fourth on a Burgess solo home run to tie things up.
 
Tennessee State put together a rally in the fifth inning to plate a pair of runs and take a 6-4 lead. After back-to-back singles from Gleason and Geralds to open the inning, both executed a double steal to set up an RBI-single by Richard and a sacrifice fly by Dreitlein to open up the advantage. The group linked again in the sixth inning to put together another two-run rally with two outs to double their lead to the 8-4 final score.
 
Devlin, Hayes, Bartolovich and Caudill each had two-hit games, with Allie Conner accounting for the final of NKU's nine hits on the contest. Alyssa Enrique (0-4) took the loss in the circle, giving up six runs on six hits in four innings while striking out two in the start.
 
The Norse will conclude their spring break trip this weekend with a three-game series at Alabama State. The action begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 3 p.m. and wraps up on Sunday with a 2 p.m. start. NKU opens the Frank Igantius Grein Softball Field for the 2015 season on Tuesday, hosting Butler. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.