After splitting a series with Mineral Area on Friday, the Bears were hoping to kick off the week on the right foot, carrying over momentum built from the previous.
 
Mission accomplished.
 
The Southwest bats came alive and were accompanied by stellar defense and baserunning as the Bears secured a 10-3 win over East Central followed by an 8-3 decision over Baton Rouge.
 
"We put a focus making on some adjustments since the last time that we played and we executed those adjustments we were trying to make and I was really proud of them for that," Southwest head coach Jack Edmonson said.
 
Arguably the biggest change from the last contest for the Bears was hitting. Southwest finished with nine hits in Game 1 against East Central.
 
That offense shined as early as the second inning. With Jerod Williams already on base, Christian Kell singled before Matthew Latino reached via an error. Next up was Tyler Otts who hit a single of his own, this one bringing Williams home to put the Bears up 1-0.
 
After Hunter Harrell reached on another error, resulting in the Bears' second run, Braiden Jones contributed with an RBI single, scoring Latino and making it a 3-0 game.
 
A sacrifice fly followed by a line out resulted in two more runs before Marcus Jackson doubled to center bringing Jones home. That was followed by another RBI single, this time from Williams. When the dust settled, the Bears batted around and enjoyed a 7-0 lead.
 
On the mound, starter Luke Lirette continued on with his impressive outing but admits that the 7-0 cushion gave him a greater sense of comfort.
 
"In the second, it was a much closer game so I knew that I had to buckle down some more, just trying to keep us in the game," Lirette said. "In the third I knew that I had a bigger lead and I was able to not be so tense on the mound."
 
The Warriors scratched a couple of runs across via a home run but Lirette quickly recovered to get out of the inning, recording a strikeout in the process, one of six on the afternoon for the freshman.
 
Southwest added another run in the third before East Central plated one in the fifth making it an 8-3 game.
 
In the fifth, Jones stepped up once again with an RBI double to left scoring Otts. The following inning, the final Bear run came via a sacrifice fly by Williams.
 
On the mound the duo of Bradley Whitaker and Trace Dearman shut the door on the Warriors in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, claiming the win for Southwest.
 
Harrell and Jones led the Bears with two hits apiece. Jones also finished with two RBIs as did Conner McHenry and Williams.
 
In Game 2, Baton Rouge struck first in the third getting a run each on a dropped 3^rd strike and a bases-loaded walk to take a 2-0 lead.
 
The following inning, the hosts responded and in a big way. An RBI single from Nolan Walther scored Latino and Jones. Later in the inning a hit batsman plated another run before Walther and Jackson touched home on a Baton Rouge error putting Southwest up 5-2.
 
In the fifth, Kell pushed the sixth run across with an RBI single, scoring Williams, before Jackson scored on another Baton Rouge error in the sixth giving the hosts an 8-2 lead.
 
The visitors inched closer in the seventh on an RBI double but pitcher Dawsan Drennan shut the door on Baton Rouge, preserving the win for Southwest.
 
Walther led Southwest with a hit, a run scored and two RBIs.
 
The Bears play host to Kaskaskia College Friday.