Cougar Softball Splits with Gadsden State

On Saturday, February 15 Cleveland State hit the road to play a doubleheader vs Gadsden State at
the Jana McGinnis Softball Stadium on the campus of Jacksonville State University.

The Cougars came away with a split winning the first game 6-3 behind the pitching of Sierra Howard and losing the second 11-10 after scoring seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 10-9 lead. Cougar Softball now stands at 2-4 on the season.

Game One Recap

Down 1-0 going into the third inning Cleveland State scored three runs as Destini Jensen and Milan
Pemberton opened the inning with walks and came home to score on an RBI single and double off
the bats of Desiree Nance and Ava Layne. Layne's double also drove home Nance giving the
Cougars a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.

In the fourth inning Taylor Hancock boomed a two-run homer over the left field fence plating Heidi
Johnson who singled with one out. Johnson singled again in the sixth inning and scored on a
wild pitch giving Cleveland State the eventual 6-3 win.

Cleveland State's nine hit attack included two hits from Layne, Johnson and Carissa Montgomery with
one hit each from Nance, Hancock with her homerun and Jensen.

Howard tossed the seven-inning complete game for her first win of the young season giving up six
hits.

Game Two Recap

The Cougars jumped off to a quick 2-0 lead in the first when Layla Pettigrew singled home Nance
who reached on a fielder's choice and Layne who doubled. The lead was short lived as
Gadsden scored three in their half of the first.

Both teams answered back and forth in the second inning as Cleveland State's Brooklyn Deaver led
off with a homerun to tie the score only to have Gadsden answer back and take a 4-3 lead. Gadsden
scored five more runs in the next four innings leaving Cleveland State down by six runs entering the
top of the seventh.

The Cougars then exploded for seven to take a 10-9 lead as Hancock doubled home Skye Eddington
and Pemberton who led off the inning with singles. Nance followed chasing home Montgomery
who singled with Hancock scoring on an error. Pettigrew hit her second homerun of the season,
a two-run shot plating Nance while Deaver ended the scoring with her second homerun of the day over
the right center field fence.

Gadsden State ended the game scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh without the aid of a hit for the final score of 11-10.

Cleveland State's scoring came with 12 hits, two each from Hancock, Pettigrew and Deaver with
Montgomery, Nance, Layne, Johnson, Eddington and Pemberton each chipping in with one.

What's Next

The Cougars are scheduled for a road doubleheader vs Georgia Highlands on Tuesday February 18.