The Cleveland State softball team dropped a pair of Region VII Conference games to Motlow State on Saturday afternoon. After sweeping a pair of games on Friday the Lady Cougars let a big lead slip away in game one on Saturday falling 6-5 and then dropped game two, 7-4 to settle for a split of of the series.
The Lady Cougars sailed along early in game one as they built a sizable lead with a run in the third on an RBI double by Sara O'Rear and then added three more an inning later to take a 4-0 lead.
Back to back doubles from Perry Hindi and Hannah Powell plated a run and Ashley Swaney followed that with a two-run homer.
Hindi walked and scored on a double by Kristen Qualls in the sixth as the lead grew to 5-1.
After scoring their first run of the game in the fifth on an RBI single from Lauren Warren, the Lady Bucks suddenly came to life in the bottom of the sixth. Makenzie Hopkins, Chelsea Howell and Morgan Myers all chipped in with an RBI single each to cut the lead to 5-4 and Makayla Campbell capped off the rally with a two-run single to bring the home team all the way back for the incredible win.
Monica Lane went the distance to get the win while Ida Watson suffered the loss.
With the wind gone from the Cleveland State sails, the Lady Bucks jumped out to a big lead in game two and never gave it up. Morgan Frye singled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, Warren added an RBI single in the second, Bridgette Wilson doubled in two more in the third and Kelli Bruning added one in the fourth for a 6-0 lead.
The Lady Cougars made some noise in their half of the fifth as O'Rear belted a two-run homer over the left field fence and Tori Roberts singled in a run to cut the lead in half, 6-3.
The home team got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth, but the Lady Cougars mounted one last rally in the seventh. Hindi doubled in a run to cut the lead back to three runs, but the rally ended there as the Lady Bucks held on for the sweep of the day and a split of the series.
Lindsey Knoer got the win for Motlow State while Alexa Perian took the loss.
The Lady Cougars will host Walters State for a four-game set this weekend.