EDMOND, Oklahoma — Behind a complete-game performance from sophomore Jackson Dietel, the Cloud County Community College baseball team got to enjoy its first taste of spring with a 6-3 victory over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on a balmy, 70-degree afternoon out in Edmond, Oklahoma.

It was the first of three games this week the T-Birds (2-1 overall) will play this week at Wendell Simmons Field, located on the University of Central Oklahoma campus.

Dietel made sure it was a pleasant day in the sun as the left-hander went all seven innings, limited a powerful Golden Norsemen team (1-3 overall) to three runs on eight hits while striking out a career-high 11 batters versus two walks.

The southpaw worked efficiently, throwing 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes to provide some much-needed length for a T-Birds' team current on a stretch of five games in three days.

"Having most of our starters on lower pitch counts this week, we knew Dietel was probably one who could extend a little bit. He's arm is in pretty good shape and he's from Texas, so he was at home throwing over break," said Cloud County head coach, Eric Gilliland. "He gave us just that. He gave us a complete game and was economical with it. I don't even think he had his best stuff, but he really battled and made big pitches when he needed to. NEO can hit. That was a physical team he got out all day long in a lot of different ways."

His battery mate, freshman catcher Griffin Larsen, made sure Dietel had some wiggle room as Larsen drilled his second home run in as many days, this time taking a three-run home run out to the opposite field.

Larsen finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored, boosting his early season batting average to a gawdy .625 with four runs driven in through three games.

"Griffin can hit, man," Gilliland said. "He's a big, physical hitter with big bat speed and when he's good, he's really good."

As a team, the T-Birds produced 10 hits in the victory, receiving at least one knock from seven different players, led by Larsen and freshman third baseman Davis Pratt (2-for-3).

They'd produce insurance runs in the second, third and fourth innings, receiving a sacrifice fly from freshman Kyler Charchun in the third and an RBI groundout by Clayton Loranger in the second.

"Something we talk about all the time is not sitting on a lead and needing to score back when another team scores on us," Gilliland said. "We did that well (Thursday) and really kept the pedal down, offensively."

Cloud County will now turn its attention toward a pair of games on Friday against Eastern Oklahoma State College (10 a.m.) and Redlands Community College (1 p.m.) Each game is currently scheduled for nine innings.

"We played Eastern in the fall and they are always really good and really talented," Gilliland said. "Everyone out here in Oklahoma is good. That's why we chose to come down to this tournament: to play some of the best teams in the Midwest. Eastern and Redlands will be some good challenges (Friday)."