The beauty of baseball was on display on Saturday at Cougar Field as Cleveland State hosted the Vincennes University Blazers for a doubleheader. The Blazers took a 1-0 pitchers duel in game one and then on the complete other end of the spectrum, the Cougars needed a walk-off grand slam homer in the second game to win a wild one, 9-8 to gain a split of the days action.
Game one was an old fashioned pitchers duel as Ty Simpson for the Blazers and Tyler Sexton for the Cougars locked horns and proceeded to retire hitters with relative ease through the first five innings.
The Blazers finally broke the ice in the top of the sixth as they scratched out a run to take the lead.
A one-out double by Lucas Ray started the rally. A hit batter and a walk then loaded the bases for Drew Rossbottom who knocked in the run with a high chopper to third for an infield RBI single and a 1-0 Vincennes lead.
The Cougars threatened to tie the game with a pair of singles from Damo DeMatteo and Derek Shugart in the bottom of the sixth but Simpson was able to wiggle out of the jam and then work around a double from Colby Harmon in the seventh to secure the win.
Sexton took the loss for the Cougars while Tyler Kilgore pitched in relief. Simpson went the distance for the Blazers to get the win.
The Blazers took the lead in game two with three runs in the third on an error a sacrifice fly and RBI singles from Steve Lowden and Drew Rossbottom. Cody Commons scampered home in the bottom of the frame during a rundown play for a Cougar run, but the Blazers extended their lead with two more in the fourth and another in the fifth for a 6-1 lead.
The Cougars got closer with a three spot in the sixth as Devin Fish plated a run with a grounder while three wild pitches and a passed ball aided the Cleveland State cause as they cut the lead to 6-4. Cleveland State gave two of those runs back in the top of the seventh as the Blazers tacked on a pair of unearned runs.
Down to their last at-bat, the Cougars didn't give up. Cody Commons and J.D. Cowart each took one for the team to reach base and start the rally. An RBI single from Fish drew the Cougars a run closer and with the bases full of Cougars, third baseman Colby Harmon became the man of the moment as he dialed long distance for an incredible walk-off grand slam home run to send the Cougar faithful home happy.
"Game one was a well pitched game on both sides," stated Cougar coach Mike Policastro. "We had our chances, but it didn't work out. Game two was a wild one and we were fortunate to come out with a win. The guys stuck with it after we got way down and didn't give up and we got some good relief pitching, but it was an amazing finish."
Ross Spurgeon was the winning pitcher for the Cougars (3-3) while Hunter Hammond, Jeb Scoggins, Thomas Huddleston and Ethan Davis all pitched in relief. Christian Leffler took the loss for the Blazers.