HARRIMAN, Tenn. — Cleveland State (5-6, 1-3) opened conference play by winning once and losing three times on the road at Roane State over the weekend.
Game One
On Friday, Cougar softball was never able to overcome giving up five runs in the first inning to the Lady Raiders, losing the game 13-4 in five innings. Cleveland State scored one in the second when Bre Dunsmore walked with the bases loaded to score Macy Bryan, who had singled to start the inning.
In the third inning Bryant belted a 2-run homer over the centerfield fence plating herself and Rachel Pierce who had started the inning with a double to left center. In the fourth inning Mekala White led off with a walked and two batters later came in to score on a single by Pierce.
The Cougars only mustered six hits, two by Pierce and Bryant including her team leading third home run and one each by Erin Hollis and Emily Banks. Kaley Cagle took the loss moving her record to 3-3 as Cleveland State left nine runners on base.
Game Two
Catcher, Brittany Arnold started the Cougar scoring in game two by launching a homerun to center field in the second inning when eight batters came to the plate and three scored giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead. Hannah Jones singled and with two outs and Jones along with Rachael Goodson who had singled to left scored on a single by pierce.
Winning pitcher Haley Hodgson evened her season record at 2-2, giving up one run in the fourth and two in the 6th setting up Cougar heroics by Grayson Brown and relief pitcher Hollis.
Goodson led off the seventh inning with a double to center and was sacrificed to third by Carly Frost. After a ground out to the pitcher for the second out of the inning, Brown stepped to the plate and on her second pitch smashed a single driving in Goodson with the go ahead run.
In the bottom of the seventh Hollis came in and shut the door on Roane State with her second save of the season.
Game Three
Cleveland State started Saturday's game with a series of base running blunders during the course of the entire game and lost in six innings 9-1. Hodgson took the loss, moving her season record to 2-3 as the Cougars scored their lone run in the fourth inning on a double by Bryant and an RBI single by Jones.
Arnold, Jones and Pierce had two hits each while Bryant and Brown each chipped in with one. Hollis came in to pitch in the third and threw 4 strong innings giving up no earned runs.
Game Four
The Cougars dug themselves a quick hole in the final game of the series, giving up nine runs in an inning and a third. With one out in the second Hollis again entered the game in relief and for four and two thirds innings shut done Roane State giving up a single run in the bottom of the sixth.
Cleveland State chipped away at the lead and cut the score to 9-5 at the end of three, but that was going to be the extent of their scoring. On the game the Cougars banged out 12 hits, led by Arnold and White who had three hits each including two doubles by White. Brown had the other multiple hit game, with singles in the third and fourth inning. Single digit RBI's came off the bat of Arnold, Hollis, White and Banks.
