Cleveland State came out swinging winning game one, but lost the next three in their conference series at Dyersburg State.
The Cougars (15-5, 3-5) pounded out 18 runs in their game one victory, but the Eagles (12-8, 5-5) came away with an 8-2 win in game two, a 3-0 shutout in game three and finished off the series with an extra inning walk-off.
Game One
The first one ended early via the ten-run rule with the Cougars putting together an 18-6 thumping of Dyersburg State.
Cleveland State struck first in the top of the second scoring twice. Dyersburg plated one in the bottom of the second then took the lead in the bottom of the third scoring three times.
The Cougars bats came alive in the fourth putting up 11 runs. The Eagles scored two in the bottom of the fourth, but Cleveland State added another five in the fifth and shut down Dyersburg in the bottom of the fifth to end it.
Kylie Hayes earned the victory pitching a five-inning complete game allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking eight.
Cleveland State homered six times in the game with two each by Ava Layne and Layla Pettigrew. Morgan Willingham and Abby Murrill each homered once. Murrill also doubled along with Torrey Cummings with Whitney Lee doing it twice.
Pettigrew put six across the plate, Murrill brought home four, Layne drove in three, Willingham two while Lee and Cummings each drove home one. Layne and Willingham scored four times. The Cougars went 16-33 at the plate combined.
Game Two
Game two was a pitcher's duel for most of the game. Cleveland State scored the game's first run in the top of the third, then put another across the plate in the fourth before the Eagles tied it in the bottom of the fifth.
Then Dyersburg State plated six in the bottom of the sixth and the Cougars couldn't answer in the final inning. Kadence Brewer suffered the loss pitching 5.1 innings allowing seven earned runs on nine hits striking out seven and walking four.
Game Three
Dyersburg State's pitcher Emmie Bullington had a completely different day than in her first start of the series against the Cougars.
Bullington was pulled after three innings in game one, but she pitched a complete game shutout in game three of the series allowing Cleveland State six hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Kylie Hayes also pitched well for Cleveland State, throwing the entire game allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking one, but ultimately suffered her first loss of the season. Cummings was the only Cougar with multiple hits going 2-3 on the game.
Game Four
The series ended in dramatic fashion with an extra inning walk-off.
The Cougars scored first with two in their half of the second inning. Then it remained scoreless until the Eagles plated one in the bottom of the fifth.
Cleveland State then scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh, but the Eagles had a five-run bottom of the seventh to tie it and send the game to extra innings. The Cougars couldn't put a run across in the top of the eighth, and in the bottom half of the inning Dyersburg State hit a double to drive in the game winning run.
Lee went 3-4 with a triple and a double on the game scoring once and driving in a run. Murrill, Pettigrew, Kristen Fowler and Kendall Phillips each went 2-4 with Fowler and Phillips each driving in two.
What's Next:
Cleveland State returns home this week for another four-game conference series. The Cougars host Southwest Tennessee (14-14, 1-9). The games were set to start Friday, but have been moved to the weekend due to incoming weather with double headers on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 11 a.m. and Sunday will start at noon.
Edwin Bear
Cleveland State Community College
Sports Information/Media Relations
