The Cougars erased a five run deficit in the ninth inning on Friday to complete an amazing come-from-behind win with an eight run explosion to take the win in game one 10-7.
But, on Saturday the Cougars left their bats on the bus as the visitors amassed a grand total of two hits, one in each game of the doubleheader in two painful losses by scores of 1-0 in each game.
On Friday, the Bucks pushed the first run across on a wild pitch in the second inning, but an RBI double from Grant Zawadzki tied the game for the Cougars in the third. The Bucks regained the lead with a single run in the bottom of the third and then pushed their lead to 4-1 with two more in the fifth on back to back doubles by Brandon Johnson and Aaron Pearson.
Former Cleveland High standout Derek Shugart got the Cougars a run closer with a single in the sixth for the Cougars, but the Bucks tacked on three more in the eighth to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
Down to their last three outs, the Cougars stirred up the bat rack and started an amazing comeback. Zawadzki got things started with a walk and Trevor Burgess followed with a double.
Rader singled in another run while Gray Hutchinson drew a walk with the bases full of Cougars to push another run across.
Cameron Brewster, who like Rader and Shugart also played at CHS, chipped in with a two-run pinch hit single to all of a sudden, cut the Bucks lead to 7-6.
With two outs, former Walker Valley standout Jaime Harper tied the game with a pinch hit single of his own. Zawadzki then singled in the go-ahead run in his second trip to the plate of the inning while the final run crossed on an error to finish the rally.
Matt Lynam came on in the ninth to pick up the save as he struck out two of the three batters he faced to finish the most improbable win.
Saturday was a much different story for the Cougars. The Bucks scored the only run of game one in the bottom of the first as the Cougars turned a double play. That would be all the run support that Jeremy Estill would need as he blanked the Cougars the rest of the way to get the win.
Ryan Mutchnick doubled in the fifth for the Cougars to break up the no-hitter while Jared Burton gave up only five hits on the hill, but took the loss.
Game two was almost a mirror image as Buck's pitcher Michael Watkins limited the visitors to only one hit. Gray Hutchinson singled in the seventh to break up the no-hitter as the Cougars came within an eyelash of pulling out a win, but left the bases loaded to drop two of the three game series.
Motlow scored the only run of game two in the second as a leadoff double by former Bradley Central standout Jake Smiley came around to score on an error.
Harper took the hill for the Cougars, limiting the Bucks to only three hits, striking out 10 and allowing no earned runs.
Cleveland State will host the Tennessee Wesleyan junior varsity squads Tuesday at 1 p.m.
