The Chattanooga State Tigers did something Friday they’ve had trouble doing while falling to seventh place in the TCCAA baseball standings. They finished a comeback.

Trailing by three runs after botching a force-out at home plate in the sixth inning, the Tigers rallied to defeat second-place Cleveland State 5-4 as the teams opened their final regular-season series. They play two games today at Chattanooga State, beginning at noon.

“These guys have been pretty resilient. They’ve fought,” Tigers coach Greg Dennis said. “What we’ve missed is that one at-bat that’s put us over the hill. We’ve been one step from the top and just couldn’t get that next hit.”

After giving up two runs on the catcher’s error and another on Adam Hindman’s long sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, the Tigers (27-16, 10-12) got two runs back in their half of the inning. Daniel Merck opened with a single up the middle and left-side batter Adam Whitlock doubled down the left-field line, and Zack DeBord drilled a one-out double to left center to bring them both home.

They went to the seventh still down 4-3 but escaped disaster after a throwing error and Jay Huffman’s excellent bunt put Cougars on third and first with no outs. Chattanooga State foiled a double steal by getting Justin Ridenour at the plate, nicely blocked by Alex Bush, and starting pitcher Brian Satterfield induced a bounce-out before left-hander Josh Coppinger relieved him and got dangerous Andrew Root to fly to left for the final out.

Coppinger wound up the winning pitcher despite facing only one batter, as a two-out single put the Tigers ahead in their next at-bat. Pinch hitter Ryan Williams led off with a hit and took second on Jacob Price’s sacrifice bunt. After another out, Cougars ace Jay Bolen just missed with a two-strike curveball to Merck, who then walked, and Whitlock bounced the next pitch past the first baseman.

Williams scored easily and Merck also came home with a delayed throw from right field. Corey Davidson and Tyler Burstrom pitched the last two innings without allowing a hit or a walk.

Although Cleveland State (35-15, 17-8) will be the runner-up to nationally sixth-ranked Walters State no matter what happens today, coach Mike Policastro wasn’t shrugging his shoulders about Friday’s outcome.

“It’s a matter of playing well and continuing to play well if we want to do something in the postseason,” he said, “and we didn’t do the little things today that you’ve got to do to keep playing.”

Cory Hilton gave the Cougars a quick lead with a line-shot homer to left in the first inning. Troy Zawadzki singled, Root doubled and Hilton walked to load the bases with no outs in the sixth, and cleanup man Cody Hooper grounded to third for a potential double play that turned into a double score. But Policastro thought the Cougars should have punished their hosts with another couple of runs that inning.

Morgan Costner joined Whitlock and DeBord with two Tigers hits, including a tying single in the fourth.