CLEVELAND – Cleveland State softball opened their 2017 home schedule by sweeping the University of Cumberlands JV, 9-1 and 4-3 Wednesday afternoon. The team banged out 12 hits in game one and came from behind and scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win game two.
"Our pitching staff did a great job today. They worked hard this week to prepare and it paid off in the two games. Haley keeps getting better each time she steps on that mound," head coach Katie Willingham said.
"Our hitting was spot on and we did a great job executing and fighting at the plate when we needed to plate some runs. Now we need to carry over this momentum to Tuesday's games and into our opening conference weekend series with Roane State."
Cleveland State (4-3) scored two runs in the first, second, third and fifth innings to win the first game behind the effective pitching of Kaley Cagle, who is now 3-1 on the season. Soddy Daisy grad Macy Bryant, who was 3-for-3, drove in three runs with a double in the first, a home run in the third and a run scoring single in the fourth.
Designated hitter Brittany Arnold joined Bryant with three hits of her own, as eight Cougars had at least one hit. Cagle gave up two hits in the 5-inning win.
Game two saw the Cougars fall behind 3-0 after three innings of play. Hannah Jones' sac fly in the third inning drove home Emily Banks who had led off the inning with a line drive single to left. Cleveland State tallied a total of 10 hits in the game, waiting until the bottom of the seventh to score three more runs for the win.
Jones was hit by a pitch to start the rally and came home on a dramatic game tying 3-run homer by Mekala White who launched the second pitch she saw deep over the left field fence. With one out Adrianna Jones walked, Grayson Brown singled into left and Bryant was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a line out by Banks, Arnold worked the count to 3 and 1 and walked on her fifth pitch, winning the game.
Haley Hodgson won for the second time this season with four innings of stellar relief, striking out four while giving up one hit.
Cleveland State's next games are at Cleveland State on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 and 4 p.m., where they host Snead State (7-13) out of Alabama.
