The Cleveland State baseball team hit the road on Wednesday afternoon for Tusculum College and came home with a split of their twinbill with the Pioneers' JV squad. The home team captured game one, 6-2 while the Cougars bounced back in game two to get an 8-4 win.
Zach Janes and Evan Speicher got the Cougars off and running with a single and a stolen base each in game one as the Cougars scored the first run of the day on an error for a 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers came right back in their half of the first inning with a run of their own as Travis Winnon doubled in a run and then added four more in the second as Andrew Bowerman singled in a pair while Jalen Shuffler tripled one home and Winnon singled one in for a 5-2 lead.
The Cougars tacked on a run in the second inning, but the Pioneer pitching staff held the visitors at bay the rest of the way to secure the win. Tyler Hall picked up the win in relief in game one for the Pioneers while Scott Simmons started and Clark Ayers, Christian Raasch and Eddie Perkins all tossed in relief.
Jordan Whitmire took the loss for the Cougars while Kegan Frederick, Matt Allen and Brandon Leonard all pitched in relief.
Janson Roberson put the Cougars on top early in game two with a two-run double in the top of the second inning. Speicher singled in a run and Jammer Strickland added an RBI to the cause as the Cougars took a 4-0 lead.
Tusculum sliced the lead to one run in the bottom of the third as Shuffler tripled in a pair of runs and tied the game in the fourth on a wild pitch.
The Cougars finally put game two on ice with another four-spot in the top of the sixth. Roberson came up with the big hit as he singled in two runs while two more crossed on Pioneer miscues to put the visitors on top to stay, 8-4.
Gabe Rich picked up the win in relief for the Cougars while Raunel Perez started and Kevin Carr, Matt Roueche and Leonard all pitched in relief. Josh Jaro took the loss for the Pioneers while Griffin Ebel started and T. J. Miller, Fernando Pena, Michael Scott and Ben Cash all pitched in relief.
The Cougars will hit the road for Morristown and a three-game weekend series at Walters State.