Pitchers Anna Yell, Kaylee Cornelius and Macy Smith
Cleveland State softball opened the season with a two-game set split with the Gordon State Lady Highlanders in Barnesville, Ga. on Saturday.
The first game, the Lady Cougars earned a tight 7-6 win. Cleveland State had to claw back into the game after they found themselves down 2-0 after three innings of play. The Lady Cougars put together a strong rally to get the victory, scoring four runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth frame.
Hannah Turner went two-for-three from the plate and scored two of Cleveland State’s runs. Amber Atkins had a grand collegiate debut, driving in two RBI with a home run. Both Kaylee Hughes and Haley Fair also had two hits in the win. Anna Yell earned her first victory in her collegiate debut on the mound for the Lady Cougars.
In the second game, Cleveland State suffered a 5-1 loss. It was a big debut for pitcher Kaylee Cornelius, who struck out eight batters. Fair had another strong game, recording another two hits in the second matchup of the doubleheader.
Cleveland State will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Boaz, Ala. to face Snead State. Their doubleheader with the Lady Parsons is set to begin at 2:00 ET.
Cleveland State baseball suffered two-game sweep on Saturday against a tough Gordon State team.
In the first game, the Cougars fell 12-5. Jonathan Hickman had a big day, going two-for-four from the plate. Parker Hill, Andrew Carpenter and Blake Bryan all drove in a run for Cleveland State in the effort. Jared Young provided 1.1 innings of two-hit, no-run baseball in relief.
In the second game, Cleveland State lost 14-2. Bryan went two-for-three and drove in a run for the Cougars, while Carpenter drove in the team’s other run. Both Ryan Wilson and Hill were one-for-three with a run scored in the game.
The Cougars will hope to take a game from the Highlanders on Sunday as the series wraps up. The first-pitch in the single-game will take place at 12:00 ET.
Blake Bryan