CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – McMurry University's baseball team earned an American Southwest Conference doubleheader sweep of the University of the Ozarks, 9-1 and 7-5, at Lonnie Qualls Field. The win improved the War Hawks to 7-9 overall (3-2 in ASC games), while the Eagles fell to 5-8 (2-6 ASC).
                                                                 
McMurry would get all the runs it would need for game one in its first at-bats of the afternoon in the seven-inning opener.  The War Hawks tallied seven times – sending 11 men to the plate – in effectively putting the game out of reach with the first time through the lineup.
 
And the main reason the contest was put in the proverbial "refrigerator" so early for McM was the masterful effort of sophomore pitcher Juan Valadez.  Valadez registered the first complete game by a McM hurler this season in improving his personal record to 2-1. He was never in trouble – giving up just one hit in the first six innings – with his only mistake a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh in the two-hitter.   
 
Valadez struck out seven Eagles' batters, walking one and hitting one, as well.
 
McMurry's batters added a pair of runs to Valadez's account in the top of the third.  Junior thirdbaseman Tyler Jenkins was 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and one run batted in to lead his team's offensive output.
 
Centerfielder Randy Crevier went 2-for-3 as the only other McM player with multiple hits. Crevier scored a run and drove in two.
 
Crevier also had one of the War Hawks' three doubles in the game.  Blaine McRay (1-for-3) and Chase Bledsoe (1-for-5) had the others. As a team, McMurry pounded out eight total hits in the first game.
 
In game two, while the Eagles had the upper-wing on the War Hawks in total hits (8 to 6), McM delivered in a timely fashion In the third and fourth frames, leadoff batter Robert White ignited a pair of rallies.
 
Locked in a scoreless battle entering the third, White drew a leadoff walk and, with Bledsoe at the plate, stole second. Bledsoe would eventually also draw a walk and both men advanced on a wild pitch.  Jenkins, the game two designated hitter, was the third-consecutive War Hawk to get a base on balls to load the sacks for Baker.
 
Baker promptly singled down the left field line, plating both White and Bledsoe.  With two outs, Matthew Chalk walked to reload the bases and bring up McRay, who was issued the fifth walk of the inning and force home Jenkins to make it 3-0.
 
After Ozarks got a run back off of McM starter Jack Poe in their half of the third, the War Hawks struck for two more in the fourth. White slapped a leadoff double to left-centerfield and Bledsoe was hit by a pitch.
 
Jenkins laced a double to center to drive in White and, when the Eagles' centerfielder misplayed the ball, Bledsoe also trotted home.
 
Poe (3-1) gave up a single run in the fourth and two in the fifth, as McM still held a slim 5-4 cushion. Poe exited after the fifth, with four strikeouts and four walks. Chase Stone was then called on to pitch and tossed a scoreless sixth for McMurry.
 
In the top of the seventh, the War Hawks added what would prove to be some needed insurance. In the inning, Baker singled and came home when Chalk (1-for-3) lined his first home run of the year over the left field fence to up the margin to 7-4.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Ozarks clawed for a run off of McM reliever Rody Johnson, making it the 7-5 final.  Jenkins came on to pitch scoreless eighth and ninth innings and earn his first save of the year.
 
Baker went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI.  Jenkins (1-for-4) and White (1-for-3) each had doubles.
 
The teams play the third game of the series on Monday at noon.