by BRYAN GRISHAM
CSCC Sports Information
The Cleveland State softball team
got the ball rolling in fine fashion Tuesday afternoon, taking a
5-3 win in game one of a doubleheader with visiting Snead State at
Lady Cougar Field. Game two was a different story. The Lady Parsons
blanked the Lady Cougars 8-0 to earn a split in the first games of
the season for Cleveland State.
“We came out ready to play and were hitting the ball
well,” stated Lady Cougars coach Katie Willingham.
“They scored first, but it didn’t bother us; we just
came right back and took the lead. We attacked the ball, pitched
well and played well defensively.”
Snead jumped on top in game one with an unearned run in the their
first turn at the plate. The Lady Cougars got that run back plus
one in the bottom of the first when Leslie Still reached on and
error and later scored on a double from Sydney Howell to tie the
game. Maura Ditto put Cleveland State on top with a double of her
own seconds later for a 2-1 lead.
A triple by Savannah Harper helped the visitors tie the contest in
the third. The Lady Cougars then took the lead for good in the
bottom of the fifth, when Ditto doubled in another run and Emily
Huston singled home one more. The third run of the inning crossed
on the back end of a double steal for a 5-2 advantage.
Snead State added a run in the seventh, but that would be all the
damage they could muster as they Lady Cougars put their first win
of the season on the board. Kelsey Capella picked up the win for
the Lady Cougars.
Game two was a complete turnaround for both teams. The Lady Cougars
managed only three hits off Snead State hurler Megan Honea while
the Lady Parsons pounded out 11 safeties.
A hit batsman with the sacks full of Lady Parsons pushed the first
run of the game across and a two-run double by Honea put the Lady
Cougars (1-1) behind 3-0 before their first at-bat.
An RBI double by Hannah Harris in the second and a two-run homer in
the third from Mary Graves pushed the lead to 6-0 and another
two-run shot in the sixth by Kyla Holland finished the afternoon of
softball and a split of the twin bill. Honea went the distance to
pick up the win for Snead State (1-6).
“Game two was a complete flip-flop,” explained
Willingham. “We just didn’t hit the ball. We had a few
walks and hit a couple of batters to start the game and they jumped
on us early. We just couldn’t get it going.”
The Lady Cougars will travel to Piedmont college Tuesday.
