After the conference weekend success vs Dyersburg State, Cougar Softball played a midweek doubleheader vs Gordon State College on Tuesday March 7 winning the first game 9-3 and the second game 14-7. The wins put Cleveland State with an overall season record of 11-5 with their conference mark remaining 4-0.
The Cougars used a combined two game total of 33 hits while Bailee Phillips won her fifth game of the year and Hadley Burnette increased her wins to six.
Game One Recap
The Cougars scoring came in bunches of three as they scored three each in the first, fifth and sixth inning for the 9-3 win. Hope Ingle led off the bottom of the first with a homerun followed by four singles and a hit by pitch. Singles by Shelby Sullivan and Kristen Fowler plated Carlynn Atamaniuk and Phillips who had singled giving Cleveland State a 3-1 lead.
Singles by Sullivan and Fowler in the fifth turned into two RBI's by Taylor Hancock who was driven home by a single from Lexi Vogel. With two outs in the sixth it was Sullivan again starting a rally with a singled followed by a two-run homerun off the bat of Abby Starnes. Back-to-back doubles by Fowler and Ally Starnes added the final run of the game.
Sullivan and Fowler had three hits on the game while Ingle, Abby Starnes and Lexi Vogel each two. Rounding out the hitting attack with one hit each included, Atamaniuk, Phillips, Ally Starnes and Hancock.
Game Two Recap
Game two turned into a slugfest as the Cougars jumped off to a 7-0 lead after two innings highlighted by a second inning grand slam by Sullivan preceded by a Vogel single a walk to Ingle and a Abby Young hit by pitch. Gordon answered with three in the third and two in the fifth making the score 7-5.
It was the Cougars again in the bottom of the fifth scoring five with singles from Sullivan, Abby Starnes, Fowler, Ally Starnes and Vogel. Gordon State ended their scoring with two in their half of the sixth putting the score at 12-7. Cleveland State pushed two across in the bottom of the sixth manufactured by singles from Abby Starnes, Fowler, Ally Starnes and Vogel and finally on a sacrifice fly from Whitney Lee.
Overall hitting came from Vogel, Fowler and Abby Starnes with three hits each while Ingle, Sullivan and Ally Starnes each had two. Atamaniuk and Young each had one hit.
What's Next
Cleveland State is back at conference play traveling to Jackson Tennessee to take on Jackson State Community College with a doubleheaders on Friday March 10 and Saturday March 11.
