Entering the home stretch of the regular season, the Bears were hoping to pick up a pair of wins Thursday afternoon in Clarksdale against Coahoma to help their case with making the postseason.
 
And they did just that defeating the Tigers 13-6 in Game 1 before topping them 10-7 in Game 2.
 
"They were tough and they are always tough to play there," Southwest head coach Jack Edmonson said of Coahoma. "Our guys came out and we put up some runs early in Game 1. Game 2 was a lot tougher and they had a lot better arm on the mound. They kind of made us earn everything that we got. We had some big hits in big situations." 
 
In the opener, the Bears (23-24, 13-13 MACCC) got a strong outing from starter Justin Thomas. He went 5.0 innings, giving up only two hits and two runs (unearned).
 
His offense provided immediate help, putting together its best inning of the game. Marcus Jackson singled before Hunter Harrell and Braiden Jones each walked, loading the bases. A walk to Connor McHenry plated the games first run. It was immediately followed by a passed ball allowing Harrell to score and an RBI double to left by Jerod Williams bringing Braiden Jones home.
 
A dropped third strike plated another run followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Brett Boutwell and Tyler Otts. When the dust settled, Southwest enjoyed a 6-0 lead.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the second before the Bears increased their lead in the third. A Tiger error allowed both Williams and Christian Kell to score. Next up was Jackson who singled to left bringing Otts home increasing the Southwest lead to 9-0.
 
Colson Thompson pushed two more runs across the plate in the fifth with a line-drive home run to left. Five batters later Jones allowed Boutwell and Harrell to touch home on a single to center making it a 13-0 Bear advantage.
 
The Tigers scored two runs apiece in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings before Cole Tillman – who came on in relief of Bradley Whitaker – got the final out sealing the win for the Bears.
 
Williams led the charge for Southwest going 3-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Jones and Thompson each finished with two RBIs.
 
In the nightcap, Southwest starter Luke Lirette was locked in a battle with Coahoma starter Ethan Kreyer. In their respective halves of the first, each registered two strikeouts.

Both teams were held scoreless through the first three frames before Southwest broke the mold in the fourth. Jones doubled to right and scored during the next at bat when McHenry singled to right. Two batters later, McHenry scored when Kell doubled to left. Ensuing batter, Thompson, kept the run going with his second home run of the day and fourth of the season, a two-run shot over the left field wall, giving the Bears a 4-0 lead.
 
The Tigers pushed two across in the fourth, cutting the Bear lead in half. But Southwest answered right back in the fifth as Harrell hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Otts home and making it a 5-2 game.
 
The momentum built by the Bears came to an unfortunate end in the sixth when the Tigers rallied to score four runs taking a 6-5 lead.
 
Down to its last three outs, Southwest put together a run of its own in the seventh. Braxton Thoms reached base after being hit and was replaced by pinch runner Boutwell. After Otts walked, Jackson singled to not only get on base but further increase his school record of consecutive games reaching base safely to 29 games.
 
Two batters later, Jones hit a two-run double scoring Otts and Jackson giving the Bears the lead once again at 7-6. That hit gave Jones a new school record of 69 career RBIs.  

The hits kept coming for Southwest as a McHenry fielder's choice, a Williams double and a Kell single all plated a run apiece giving the Bears a 10-6 advantage.
 
Harrell came on in the seventh and even though the Tigers pushed one run across the plate, he closed out the game helping the Bears preserve the win. He along with Lirette and relievers Collin Netto, Jake Martin and Caiden Neicaise combined to strike out 11 and walk only four.
 
Jones, Kell and Thompson all had two hits and two RBIs. Williams also had two hits to go along with one RBI. McHenry and Otts each scored two runs.
 
The Bears return home to close out the regular season on Tuesday hosting East Central at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sophomore night.