LONGVIEW - It was not easy, but the LeTourneau YellowJacket baseball team found a way to leave Georgetown with a sweep as they took two wild contests from the Southwestern Pirates by scores of 6-5 (7 innings) and 10-9.

In game one, the Pirates (1-5) jumped out to a 4-0 lead with three coming in the first inning. In that first inning junior starter Curt Copeland allowed three runs off four hits. He would only allow two hits the rest of the way.

However, despite the Jackets (3-0) getting runners on base, they could not seem to find a way to get a runner across the plate and solve Southwestern's starting pitcher, Carl Mueller. 

As the seventh and final inning in this ball game came, the Jackets started things off with a groundout as things seem the same as they had been all afternoon. However, senior Brent Seller reached on an infield single followed by a single by senior Rhett Bohannon and a walk to junior Dustin Varnado.

The Jackets got two runs the easy way as junior Bryce Griffin walked and junior Garrett Methvin was hit by a pitch. Freshman Dillon Yates came up huge again, this time with a single to left to score two and tie the game as four.

After a walk, sophomore Ryan Bertram came to the plate and ground into a fielder's choice, but a wild throw knocked out any double play chances and scored two more runs as LeTourneau had come all the way back to take a 6-4 lead.

Southwestern made it interesting, plating a run and getting the tying run into scoring position with two outs, but Copeland held his ground and struck out the final batter to pick up his first win in the royal and gold.

Copeland pitched a complete game while only allowing three earned runs, six hits, and striking out seven. 

Bohannon was the only Jacket with multiple hits, going 2-for-4, but Yates and R. Bertram came through huge with two RBIs each on the day including the game tying and game winnings RBIs.

In game two, freshman starter Josh Gimre got his career off with a bang, striking out the side to start the game in the bottom of the first. Methvin came up in the bottom of the second and was hit by pitch. He then was moved over by a single, moved to third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead.

The big inning for LeTourneau came in the top of the fourth as Yates led the inning off with his second home run of the year to make it 2-0. Methvin followed with a single followed by a double by R. Bertram and a two RBI single from sophomore Matt Leftwich.

After a pair of strikeouts, Varnado singled to center to score Leftwich. Varnado then stole second and was driven home for a 6-0 lead by junior Chris Bertram.

Southwestern answered back though, scoring three in the fourth and four in the fifth to take a 7-6 lead.

But the Jackets wasted little time to respond as a two RBI single from C. Bertram scored senior Jay Lutz and Leftwich to go back on top 8-7.

The Pirates tied it back up in the sixth, but Lutz's infield single with two outs in the seventh push LeTourneau back into the lead at 9-8.

Again, Southwestern answered in the eighth to tie it and nine and threatened to take the lead with a runner on third. But freshman Jack Van Saders came out of the bullpen and struck out Colten Shea to keep the score tied going into the ninth.

After a strikeout to start the top of the ninth, Methvin laced a double to right center followed by a single by R. Bertram to put LeTourneau back in front 10-9.

Van Saders closed it out to pick up the first win of his career by sitting down the Pirates in order and completing a three game sweep.

Van Saders goes to 1-0 as he came in for 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and stirking out one. Sophomore Caleb Pritchett was also key in relief, allowing no earned runs and striking out two batters.

R. Bertram was big, going 3-for-5 with the game winning RBI while his brother C. Bertram was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Leftiwhich also added two RBIs in the second game.

LeTourneau will now get ready to open their home season on Tuesday as they will welcome in NAIA foe Wiley College. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.