Cleveland State came from behind on Saturday to salvage a split of a doubleheader with Motlow State.
In the opener, unable to capitalize on 12 walks by Motlow pitching, Cleveland State scored eight runs on only five hits in the 11-8 loss. Down 2-0 after the Bucs scored two runs in their half of the first inning, the Cougars tied the score in the bottom half 2-2 and then took a three-run lead after three innings on a three-run bomb off the bat of Ryan Stephens. Motlow quickly answered back with five runs in the top of the fourth to retake the lead. Cleveland State down 11-6 fell short in a seventh inning rally as Jacob Robinson hit a solo home run with another run scoring on a wild pitch for the final Cougar runs of the game.
Stephens four RBI’s, coupled with one from Robinson and another from Nick Iezzi were not enough as two Cougar pitchers, Bryce Jenkins and Dayton Wisley fell short as Motlow scored three unearned runs on the game. In addition to his homerun Robinson added hit along with one each from Jaylen Jones and Andre Tarver.
In the second game, down 3-0 until the fifth inning Cleveland State pitching kept the game close as starter Owen Clark won his third game of the season with Bryce Houghton earning his fifth save with one inning of hitless ball.
The Cougars scored three in the bottom of the fifth when Hunter Gray hit a three-run homer to knot the game at three and then in the sixth, Jones hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield plating Bryce Burkey making the score 4-3 and the eventual win. Burkey had three walks on the game as Stephens continued his hot hitting with two hits while Robinson and Tarver joined Gray and his homerun with one hit each.
At the end of the games vs Motlow the Cougars have an overall record of 20-11 and a conference mark of 6-5. On Monday Cleveland State travels to Carson Newman University for a doubleheader with start times set for 1 and 3 p.m.
EST. Conference games start back with Chattanooga State coming to campus for a nine-inning game on Friday at 2 p.m. EST and a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 and 2 p.m. EST