Cougar Softball Takes Final Two from Dyersburg State to Win Series
Cleveland State with two shutouts of 2-0 and 5-0 over Dyersburg State on Sunday February 5 assured the Cougars would go undefeated in their first four-game conference weekend. Bailee Phillips with the first game win and Hadley Burnette with the game two win each allowed four hits. Currently Cleveland State has an overall record of 9-5 and conference mark of 4-0.
Game One Recap… (Game Three of the Series)
In the 2-0 first game win run scoring for the Cougars started in the fifth when Kristen Fowler bunted towards third and pinch runner Summer Burkett was awarded home on an Obstruction call. The inning started on a walk to Abby Starnes and a double by Shelby Sullivan setting up the play at the plate.
Cleveland State added an insurance run in the sixth as Lexi Vogel led off with a walk, moved to third on a Hope Ingle single and two outs later was driven home on a single by Sullivan for the final 2-0 score. The Cougars had nine hits on the game, three by Sullivan and one each of the bats of Ingle, Carlynn Atamaniuk, Abby Starnes, Fowler, Taylor Hancock and Vogel.
Starter Phillips pitched the complete game shutout winning her fourth game of the season.
Game Two Recap… (Game Four of the Series)
Shut down for three straight innings to start the second game of the doubleheader the Cougars broke into the scoring column with four in the fourth. Ingle led off with a double to right center and was driven home by a single from Abby Young for a 1-0 lead. One out later Abby Starnes walked Fowler then plated Young and Whitney Lee singled home Starnes and Fowler giving Cleveland State a 4-0 advantage.
It was an insurance run again in the sixth as Fowler led off with her third homerun of the season for the final 5-0 win. With eight hits on the game the Cleveland State was led by Ingle and Fowler at two hits apiece followed by Young, Sullivan, Ally Starnes and Lee each with one.
In winning her fifth game of the season Burnette struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Next up Cleveland State plays host to Gordon State College on Tuesday March 7 with doubleheader start times of 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. EST at Cougar Softball Field on the campus of Cleveland State. Currently Gordon has an overall season record of 7-6.
