The Cleveland State Lady Cougar softball team ran their impressive win streak to an even dozen on Friday afternoon as they traveled to the upper Western corner of Tennessee for a four-game weekend TCCAA Region VII Conference series with Dyersburg State.
Ida Watson was nearly unhittable in game one of the twinbill as she allowed only two hits and shutout the Lady Eagles (24-12, 18-12) for a 6-0 win. Kelsey Haley allowed only one earned run and five hits in game two for the Lady Cougars while Watson came on in relief and tossed four more shutout innings to get the win in both ends of the doubleheader as Cleveland State (19-23, 14-16) took game two 3-2.
Sara O'Rear doubled and scored on a single from Perry Hindi to put the Lady Cougars on top in the top of the first inning in game one.
O'Rear struck again in the fifth as she singled in two more runs to push the lead to 3-0.
The Lady Cougars put the game out of reach in the seventh as Hindi doubled in two more and Hannah Powell singled in another for a 6-0 lead. Laura Bell took the loss for Dyersburg State.
The Lady Cougars benefited from a Lady Eagle error in the first inning of game two to take a 1-0 lead.
The home team scored their first run of the afternoon to tie the game in the bottom of the second on a Cleveland State miscue
Holly Gibbons put Dyersburg State on top in the third with a single, but the Lady Cougars managed to tie the game once again in the fourth as Hindi singled, moved to second on a nice sacrifice bunt by Powell, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground ball to second by Tori Roberts.
Leslie Nunnelly doubled to lead off the top of the fifth, move to third on a groundout by Miranda Smith and scored on a wild pitch to put Cleveland State on top, 3-2.
That would be all the run support that Watson would need as she sat the Lady Eagles down in quick order in the final three innings to secure the win and the sweep of the days events. Hayley Newman took the loss for Dyersburg State.
"Two great wins today," said Lady Cougars coach Katie Willingham. "The girls never gave up and kept fighting. Ida did a stellar job of keeping a good hitting team off balance. Our bats were hot and we played good defense. I am very proud of these girls."