MORRIS, Minn. - It was a long-awaited home opener Tuesday for the Minnesota Morris baseball team and they did not disappoint the home fans as they recorded a doubleheader sweep of North Central by scores of 14-4 and 7-5 in UMAC baseball action at the Cougar Diamond.

Game 1: UMM 14, NCU 4 (7 innings)
The Cougars had their bats going early as they tallied eight runs in the first and four more in the second to build a 12-0 lead after two innings. Seven of the Cougars' 16 hits went for extra bases including Bryce Jergenson's two-bagger to score Trent Johnson in the first. Zach Kuefler delivered an RBI single in front of the first of Blake Haugen's three doubles that made it 5-0. Johnson and Jergenson added another base hit each in the first inning as 12 Cougars came to bat in the frame. In the second, Blaise Fairbanks tripled in front of a Nash Kramer RBI single. Haugen later drove in two more with his second double. Johnson collected his third hit in just two innings with an RBI triple to make it 12-0. While the Cougars were busy rounding the bases, starting pitcher Thomas Eckstein was busy keeping the Rams off the base paths. He allowed only one hit through three innings while facing the minimum. He would get the complete game win, allowing four runs while striking out five. Both Johnson and Jergenson went 3-for-4 with Johnson driving in four runs and Jergenson two. Mack O'Neil went a perfect 4-for-4 and Haugen reached base all four plate appearances.

Game 2: UMM 7, NCU 5
Starting pitcher Nick Peterson was the story on the mound for the Cougars. He struck out the first two batters of the game, but that was only the beginning. Through 146 pitches, he baffled North Central hitters with his speed and his curve. He struck out the side in both the second and sixth innings and had at least one strike out in all eight innings pitched. Despite all of the swings and misses, the Cougars still trailed 3-0 in the fourth. UMM plated their first run in the fourth and they would tie the game and take the lead in a five-run sixth inning. Eckstein started the spurt with a one-out double to left. O'Neil followed with a single before Haugen delivered a pinch-hit RBI single. Kuefler bunted home the tying run. Later in the inning, UMM would score three on a three-base error to take a 6-3 lead. Peterson helped himself out at the plate in the seventh. He laced a one-out triple to left center and later scored on another Haugen RBI single. Sam Melchior came on in the ninth to record the save. Johnson, Eckstein, Haugen, and Kuefler had two hits apiece.

Minnesota Morris (5-17, 4-4 in UMAC) heads out of conference for a game Wednesday at Valley City State.