In the first game, Clearwater Christian (7-28) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Philip Roscoe led off the frame with a solo home run over the fence in leftfield. Cody Bracy followed with a double, moved up to second base on a passed ball, and came around to score on an RBI-single to shortstop by Rob Copenhaver.

MVNU (17-6) wasted little time in responding as the Cougars sent 14 batters to the plate and pushed across nine runs in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore outfielder Steve Williams, junior infielder Matt Parks (left), and freshman shortstop Clint Yoder each had two hits apiece in the frame. Four of MVNU’s 10 hits were doubles.

The Cougars tacked on another run in the bottom of the third inning when senior second baseman Josh Estep drove in a run with a ground out to make it 10-2. Then, MVNU finished off the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run, pinch-hit single by freshman outfielder Christian Gomes to put the Cougars up 12-2 as the 10-run mercy rule took effect after the top of the fifth inning.

Sophomore right-hander Caleb Wright (3-0) picked up the win as he scattered seven hits, one walk, and two runs (one earned) over five innings with two strikeouts.

Josh Rebrandt took the loss for Clearwater Christian as he allowed eight hits and nine runs over just 1.1 innings with one strikeout. Kyle Cleveland worked 1.2 innings and gave up three hits, one walk, and one run with one strikeout, and David Hauser tossed the final inning and gave up three hits, one walk, and two runs with one strikeout.

Offensively, Parks paced MVNU by going 3-for-3, while Williams, Yoder, and freshman outfielder Jeff Estep had two hits apiece. Meanwhile, Joe Keene went 2-for-2 to lead Clearwater Christian.

The Cougars got on the scoreboard first in the second game when sophomore infielder Michael Hendren (right) led off the game with a single in the top of the first inning, stole second, and came around to score on a single by Josh Estep through the right side as MVNU took a 1-0 lead.

Clearwater Christian knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on a walk to James Wolstenholme, a double by Mark Rawsthorne, and a sacrifice fly by Luke Harding. A walk and an error loaded the bases, but the Cougars escaped further damage when Doug Inman lined into a double play to end the inning.

MVNU regained the lead in the top of the third inning when Josh Estep beat out a ground ball to shortstop for a hit and Williams followed with an RBI-double to centerfield to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead.

Then, in the top of the fifth inning, MVNU tacked on another run on a double to right center by sophomore Ian Durbin, a single by Hendren, and a sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Kodi Veale to make it 3-1.

The Cougars broke the game wide open in the top of the sixth inning when MVNU sent 10 batters to the plate and used four hits and two walks to plate five runs and its lead to 8-1. Sophomore catcher Ricardo Rodriguez had a two-run double, Durbin added an RBI-double, Hendren had a run-scoring single, and freshman Josh Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to account for the scoring.

Clearwater Christian put together a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning as Rosco, Ethan Barba, and Jarrod Bergey each had RBI-singles to trim the lead to 8-4. However, the Cougars took advantage of two errors in the top of the seventh inning to plate two runs and close out the scoring in the 10-4 victory.

Jeff Estep (2-0) picked up the win as he scattered six hits, five walks, and four runs (three earned) over 5.1 innings with three strikeouts. He also got help from his defense, which turned a double play in each of the first three innings. Freshman right-hander Kyle Barr tossed the final 1.2 innings and allowed just two hits with one strikeout.

Bracy, a right-hander, took the loss for Clearwater Christian as he gave up seven hits, two walks, and five runs over five-plus innings with seven strikeouts - all against left-handed batters. Mark Wilson recorded one out and gave up two hits, one walk, and three runs, and Brandon Welch worked the final 1.2 innings and allowed two hits, two walks, and two unearned runs with one strikeout.

Offensively, Hendren and Josh Estep both had three hits apiece to lead MVNU, while Durbin added two hits. Roscoe collected three of Clearwater Christian’s eight hits with Barba adding two singles of his own.

The Cougars, who went 10-5 on their spring trip, will return to action on Tuesday when MVNU will host Shawnee State University in an American Mideast Conference doubleheader at Cougar Field with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.