SERIES CLINCHING 6–4 WIN FOR THE COUGARS BEHIND POWER SURGE
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 8 | 1 |
CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Cleveland State Community College used three home runs and another strong outing from its pitching staff to secure a 6–4 victory over Southwest Tennessee and lock up the weekend series Saturday at Cougar Field.
Southwest struck first in the top of the second on a solo home run from Matthew Bright, but the Cougars answered immediately. In the bottom of the third, Jon Jon Read tied the game with a solo shot of his own, and just two batters later Nelson McKnight launched a two‑run homer, plating Evan Leonard to give Cleveland State a 3–1 advantage.
The Cougars added on in the fourth when Nolan Sergeant unloaded a three‑run homer, scoring Jordan Smith and Owen Phillips to push the lead to 6–1. Sergeant finished with three RBI on the swing, while Read and McKnight each delivered big run‑producing moments.
Offensively, Cleveland State collected eight hits, including contributions from Leonard, Jaxon Humble, Riley Mahan, and Smith. Humble also added a stolen base.
On the mound, Braden Suggs improved to 5–0, striking out 10 over six innings while allowing just two earned runs. Evan Cope worked 2.2 frames with five strikeouts, and Torrey Robinson closed the door for his fifth save, getting the final out of the ninth.
After the win, head coach Aaron Bryant praised the collective effort that carried the team through the series.
"Our guys showed toughness and poise today. The way our pitching staff attacked hitters from start to finish was outstanding. Braden set the tone, Evan built on it, and Torrey finished it. When our arms compete like that, we're a hard team to beat."
Cleveland State improves to 25–11 (17–4 TCCAA) as it continues play next week on the road with a non-conference DH at Walters State on Tuesday and the weekend conference series at Chattanooga State.
