Cougar Softball opened the 2017 season going 2-3 at the Georgia Highland Border Battle in Cartersville, Ga. this past weekend.
Game One
Sophomore Kaley Cagle was the winning pitcher in the opening game vs. Spartanburg Methodist College as Cleveland State (1-0) outlasted the Pioneers 7-6. Cagle pitched five innings and gave way to Freshman Erin Hollis who pitched two effective innings for the save.
The Cougars scored two in the first inning as Rachel Pierce and Cagle each drove in runs for a short lived two-run lead. With the scored tied going into the bottom of the second, Macy Bryant, launched a three-run homer to right center field plating Pierce who had reached by an error and Grayson Brown who had singled to centerfield.
Spartanburg tied the game with three runs in the third only to see the Cougars take the lead in the fourth when Cagle drove in AJ Chauncey who reached base with a one out walk. In the fifth, Carly Frost reached base for the third time and was worked in to score with a bases load walk by Bryant. The lead would hold up as Hollis shut the door on the Pioneers give Cleveland State the win.
Lead-off hitter Frost had two doubles along with a walk while Pierce had two singles and a RBI. With a total of nine hits and seven walks, Brown and Bre Dunsmore who walked three times each had a single with Chauncey contributing a double in the second. Bryant drove in four runs with Cagle helping her own cause with two hits and two RBI.
Game Two
The Cougars (1-1) only mustered two runs in the second game on Friday as Georgia State College scored five runs to win 5-2. In the second, Pierce drove in Brittany Arnold who had led off the inning with a walk. Dunsmore drove in the second run of the game in the third plating Bryant with a sac fly to left.
Starting pitcher Haley Hodgson took the loss giving up four runs in five innings while Hollis once again came in to finish the game with two innings of relief.
Frost, Bryant, Dunsmore and Chauncey each had one hit while Rachael Goodson was 2-for-3 on the game.
Game Three
On Saturday, Cleveland State (1-2) lost a hard fought battle 3-1 to Southern Union College as Cagle took the loss in a well-pitched game.
Cagle's single plated the Cougars lone run in the sixth, as Arnold who had singled for her second hit of the game to start the inning, came in to score. Cagle had two of the Cougar's nine hits while Mekayla White chipped in the two line drive hits to left.
Game Four
Against host school Georgia Highlands Cleveland State (1-3) only managed one hit and two walks as Hodgson took her second loss of the young season, 5-0. In the fourth in a scoreless tie, the Cougars gave up four runs, never mounting a rally to score. Chauncey had the only hit with Bryant and Pierce each reaching base via a walk.
Game Five
Coach Willingham's Cougars (2-3) ended the day on a high note rallying from a two-run deficit by scoring eight runs in the last four innings to beat Andrew College 8-3. Cagle won her second game on the young season going to distance.
Cagle drove home two runs in the fourth with a double to center scoring Chauncey who had singled and Arnold who had walked. In the fifth, Goodson and Adriana Jones led off with singles and came home to score on a single to center by Bryant. Bryant struck again in the sixth plating Jones who had walked. Chauncey finished off the scoring singling home Pierce and Bryant with the final runs of the game.
Cleveland State finished the weekend with an on base percentage of .376. Bryant and Cagle drove in seven and five runs respectively and each had six hits. Cagle's on base percentage was .545 with Chauncey at .500. Bryant's .421 on base percentage was matched by Pierce while Dunsmore showed at .411 and Frost kicked in at a .375 pace.
As a team the Cougars worked the opposing pitchers for 19 walks and scored a total of 18 runs.
Cleveland State home opener is scheduled for Saturday, February 18 in a doubleheader vs. the University of Cumberlands JV. First pitched is slated for 2 p.m. EST.
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