Lady Cougars Sweep Dyersburg State in 4 Game Series
Cleveland State softball (21-18, 13-15) concluded their home schedule by winning two doubleheaders vs. the Dyersburg State Lady Eagles on Friday, April 20, 6-0 and 8-5 followed by 2-1 and 8-5 wins on Saturday, April 21. Saturday was a special day as Head Coach Katie Willingham honored the five sophomores that were part of this year's Cougar softball family.
In game one, Shiann Stockwell won her 13th game of the season, twirling a 3-hit shutout and struck out ten in the 6-0 win. The Cougar scored one in the 1st inning when Macy Bryant walked with two outs, moved to third on a Cortney Mooneyham single and came home to score on a pass ball.
In the 2nd Cleveland State strung together five hits to score two more runs. Hailey Galvan, Baylee Woods, Emily Yell, Sadie Coons and Stockwell did the hitting damage as it was Woods plating Galvan and Stockwell chasing home Woods. It was Galvan in the scoring mix in the 3rd again when she drove a pitch over the left field fence giving the Cougars a 4-0 lead.
Cleveland State finished their scoring in the 4th inning when Mooneyham with one out singled home Stockwell who had singled and Grayson Brown who had been hit by a pitch. Stockwell had three hits, Mooneyham, Galvan, Woods and Yell each had two while Brown, Bryant and Coons rounded out the Cougar 14 hit attack.
A barrage of 11 hits by the Cougars in game two gave Kaitlyn Pickens her 3rd win of the season as she received teammate run support with two in the 2nd, three in 3rd, two in the 4th and one in the 5th in the 8-5 win.
Stockwell again led the way from the lead off position with three hits and two RBI's while Bre Dunsmore kicked in with two hits and one RBI. On the game Brown had three RBI's and one hit and was joined by Rachel Pierce, Bryant, Mooneyham, Yell and Tori who each had one hit also. Ogle's single in the 4th drove home Mooneyham who had doubled with two out.
Summer Dean and Stockwell were the stars in game three as the Cougars need extra innings in the eight inning 2-1 win earning Stockwell her 14th win of the season. The Lady Eagles scored an unearned run in the 1st and would take that lead into Cleveland States half of the 7th.
With one out in the 7th Mooneyham singled into left for the Cougars first hit of the game. After a strike out, Summer Dean snatched losing from the jaws of a Dyersburg State victory as she doubled home pinch runner Kaitlin Crump from first base with a double off the right center field fence, knotting the score 1-1. Cleveland State had a chance to win it when Coons followed with a sharp single to left but Dean was thrown out on a bang bang play at home plate, sending the game into extra innings.
In the top of the 8th the Lady Eagles worked their leadoff batter around to third base with two out but Stockwell chalked up a strikeout for the third out of the inning. In the Cougar half of the inning it was Bryant with a RBI single into right center driving home Stockwell who had led off the inning with a single and had moved to 3rd on push bunt singles by Pierce and Brown.
After being held hitless until the 7th the Cougars finished with seven hits in the final two innings as Stockwell, Pierce, Brown, Bryant, Mooneyham, Dean and Coons had one hit each.
Pickens and Bekah Copas split the pitching time in Cougar 8-5 win with Pickens going the first four and Copas pitching the last three while picking up her 4th win of the season.
To start the scoring in the 1st, Dean with two outs drove home Brown who had singled giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Dyersburg would tie the score in the top 2nd only to see Cleveland State answer with three runs to regain the lead at 4-1. Yell would lead off with a walk, followed by singles off the bat of Dunsmore, Coons, an RBI ground out by Stockwell, a run scoring single by Bryant and finally a bases loaded walk by Dean.
The Lady Eagles would chip away at the lead scoring single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th to tie the score at four. In the bottom of the 5th Cougar softball would answer back in a big way when Bryant would plate three runs with a double off the right center field fence. The offense included hits on the inning by Ogle, Dunsmore and Coons while Brown was hit by a pitch and Mooneyham walked. It was the Dunsmore hit the started the scoring driving home Yell who had reach on a fielder's choice.
Dyersburg would add a run in the top of the 7th but Copas would induce a groundout to end the game giving Cleveland State the 4-game conference sweep.
At the conclusion of the game, the sophomores and their families were given special recognition by Head Coach Katie Willingham, the freshmen class and Cleveland State. Macy Bryant, Grayson Brown, Rachel Pierce, Bre Dunsmore and Lakelyn Reed were each introduced to the fans and received a plaque, gifts, flowers and candy thanking them for being an integral part of the Cougar softball family for the past two years. Bryant, Brown and possibly Pierce will continue to play softball while earning their 4-year degree while Dunsmore and Reed hang up the cleats to concentrate exclusively on school.
Cleveland State softball will conclude the season on the road when they play conference double headers vs. Jackson State on Friday, April 27 and Saturday April 28. Friday start times are 2 and 4 p.m. EST while Saturday game times are set at 12 n. and 2 p.m. EST.
