The Cleveland State baseball team split their double header hosting Walters State.
After Cooper Casteel pitched a complete game shutout, the Cougars (30-16, 12-12) took an offensive battle from the Senators (40-12, 19-5) in game one of their double header winning 15-14, then Walters State nearly shutout the Cougars bats in the second game of the day winning 11-1.
No runs were scored in the first inning of the day, but the Senators put one across in the top of the second. Then Cleveland State's bats broke out a six-run bottom half of the second.
The runs kept pouring in from both teams from there.
There were four homeruns in the game with the Senators hitting three.
Evan Goins hit the Cougars only homer hitting a solo shot in the third inning.
Hunter Ryan led all hitters driving in five runs going 3-3 in the game while scoring a run and hitting a double. Nate Dunfee also went 3-3 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two. Kain Collins tripled and also drove in a couple runs while scoring once.
Brycen Denton (1-0) pitched the final 1.2 innings earning his first victory of the year striking out two while allowing one hit, no runs and not walking a batter.
With the win the Cougars clinched the three-game series.
Game three of the series was a different story.
Walters State kept hitting, but the Cougars didn't score a run until the final inning when Riley Orr hit a solo homerun.
Cleveland State struggled defensively committing three errors leading to four unearned Senators runs.
Manning West (7-0) remained undefeated on the season allowing no runs on one hit in his six innings of work while striking out eight and walking two.
Austin Breedlove (3-3) suffered the loss going six innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Cleveland State turns right back around for a double header at Bryan College with a 3 p.m. first pitch on Monday. Then the Cougars finish the regular season at Volunteer State for a three-game conference series hoping to keep their position in fourth place heading into the conference playoff tournament.