Point Lookout, MO - College of the Ozarks put together two steady wins Friday, beating Southwestern Christian 5-2 in the opener and 6-2 in the nightcap to complete a doubleheader sweep at Bob Smith Field in Point Lookout.

The decisive stretch of the day came in the middle innings. In Game 1, the Bobcats broke open a scoreless game with a run in the third inning and then used a three-run fourth to take control. Landon Jines drove in the first run on a sacrifice groundout, and the rally grew in the fourth after Brody Baumann helped set the table. Aaron Fisher doubled in a run, then Broden Mabe followed with a two-run single to push the lead to 4-0.

Southwestern Christian made its push in the sixth inning of the opener. Dario Paredes brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, and Dominic Ornelas added an RBI single to cut the margin to 4-2. The Bobcats answered in the bottom half when Cole Hilton drew a bases-loaded walk, restoring a three-run cushion. Baumann finished the job from there, working a complete game over seven innings. He allowed six hits and two earned runs, walked one and struck out seven on 86 pitches. Mabe paced the offense in Game 1 with two hits and two RBIs, while Fisher added a double and an RBI.

The second game opened with Southwestern Christian taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but College of the Ozarks answered quickly and decisively. The Bobcats sent across four runs in the third to move in front for good. Ty Rush delivered a two-run single during the rally, and Chase Robertson capped the inning with a two-run home run that made it 4-2.

The Bobcats added breathing room in the fifth inning of Game 2 when Brody Baumann singled in two more runs for a 6-2 lead. Cameron Jennings took over from there and gave the Bobcats another complete-game effort. Jennings went seven innings, allowed just two hits and two runs, one earned, and struck out five with two walks on 97 pitches. Rush finished with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, Robertson drove in two and walked twice, and Mabe added two more hits in the nightcap.

College of the Ozarks finished with seven hits in each game and got 14 innings from its two starters, who combined to allow only four runs in the doubleheader.

The Bobcats maintained the momentum into the series finale on Saturday and broke the game open with a four-run second inning and never let up, defeating Southwestern Christian 12-0 in a seven-inning run-rule win in Point Lookout, Missouri. The Bobcats put the result in hand early, then turned it over to George Reynolds, who finished a complete-game shutout.

The decisive stretch came across the second and third innings. In the bottom of the second, Broden Mabe reached on a fielding error that brought home the first run, and Landon Jines and Ty Rush followed with RBI walks. Chase Robertson then added an RBI fielder's choice to make it 4-0. One inning later, the Bobcats scored five more times, with Cameron Jennings delivering the biggest swing of the day, a three-run double down the left-field line that pushed the lead to 9-0.

College of the Ozarks kept adding on in the fourth. Robertson came through again with a two-RBI single, extending the margin to 11-0. The Bobcats scored their final run in the sixth when Rush singled through the right side for an RBI, capping a game in which College of the Ozarks scored in four separate innings.

Robertson and Rush paced the offense. Robertson finished with four RBIs, one hit and two walks in three at-bats, while Rush went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two walks and a hit by pitch. Jennings made the most of limited chances, finishing with three RBIs, a double, a walk and a hit by pitch. College of the Ozarks totaled 12 runs on seven hits, but its patience at the plate proved just as important. The Bobcats drew 12 walks and were hit by three pitches, constantly creating traffic.

Reynolds handled the rest. The right-hander needed only 72 pitches to cover all seven innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five. Southwestern Christian put only limited pressure on him despite collecting five hits, including a double from Nate Anderson, and never scored after Reynolds worked out of the few chances he faced.

Southwestern Christian finished with five hits, two walks and two errors, while its pitchers were charged with 12 runs, nine earned, in six innings. College of the Ozarks improved the afternoon with clean, efficient pitching and timely run production, ending it when Reynolds completed the shutout in the seventh.

The Bobcats return to action Tuesday, March 31 when they host Kansas Christian College in a non-conference doubleheader at Coach Bob Smith Field. Game times are slated for 2:00 and 4:30.