Showing why they are ranked ninth nationally, the Walters State Senators came to town on Friday and Saturday for a three game set with Cleveland State at Cougar Field.

After taking a slugfest, on Friday by a 13-7 final score, the Senators swept a doubleheader and the series on Saturday by a 5-1 tally in the first game and 1-0 in the second.

The Cougars jumped on top to start game one on Saturday. Michael Hargrove singled in the bottom of the second and eventually moved around to score on a single by DeAndre Allen for a 1-0 Cleveland State lead.

The Senators tied the game in the fourth as three Cougar miscues pushed a run across.

Walters State finished game one in a big way as Marcus Davis homered to lead off the sixth and Josh Coker cleared the bases with a three-run triple as the visitors took game one of the day.

Josh Peterson went the distance for the Senators allowing only four hits while Ross Spurgeon (2-3) took the loss.

Game two was the polar opposite of the first game of the series as Dale Innes for the Senators and Jared Burton for the Cougars locked horns in a pitcher’s dual. Innes allowed only one hit over his five plus innings of work and reliever Chase Cunningham allowed only one hit as well. Burton held the powerful Senators lineup to only three hits and gave no earned runs in seven innings of work.

The only run of the game crossed in the second inning as Mike Davis reached on an error and scored on a double by Reid Matthews for a 1-0 lead.

The Cougars got a runner as close as third base only once in the game in the second inning and stranded a pair of walks in the fifth and another walk in the sixth. DeAndre Allen singled to lead off the seventh and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, but a line drive by Ethan Davis that seemed like a sure hit turned into a game-ending doubleplay as shortstop Kendall Keeton snared the shot and tossed it to second to end the rally and complete the Walters State sweep.

Innes got the win, while Cunningham picked up the save for the Senators and Burton took the tough loss.

On Friday the Cougars out-hit their guests 19-10, but where it counted on the scoreboard the home team scored six less runs and added to the problem with seven errors and 15 Cougars left on base.

The Senators pounded out eight runs in the first four innings as Marcus Davis singled in a run in the first and four more crossed in the second on three Cougar miscues. Mike Davis and Ryan Webster each knocked in a run in the fourth and Colin Bennett hit a solo homer in the sixth to extend the lead.

Trailing 6-0 in the third, the Cougar bats came to life. Derek Shugart doubled to start the outbreak and Devin Fish added a single to the cause. Chase Edwards singled in a run, Colin Sullivan and Randall Coley followed with an RBI single each while another run crossed on an error to cut the lead to 6-4.

The Senators put the game out of reach in the eighth as four more runs crossed on two Cougar errors and a solo homer by Mike Davis to push the lead to 12-4.

Cleveland State made some noise in the bottom of the eighth as Sullivan, Ethan Davis and Coley all knocked in a run, but it was not enough as the Senators held on for the win.

Jon Reed got the win for Walters State while Milan Mantle pitched in relief. Tyler Sexton (2-6) took the loss for the Cougars while Hunter Hammonds and Zack Taylor pitched in relief.

The Cougars will travel to Greeneville on Tuesday for a pair of games with the Tusculum College junior varsity squad.