HASTINGS, Nebraska — The Cloud County Community College baseball team took some positive steps Thursday toward breaking out of its current funk, sweeping a road doubleheader against Hastings College JV by the final scores of 13-3 and 4-2.

For Cloud County (18-10 overall, 7-5 KJCCC), the wins snapped a mini three-game losing skid and provided a little momentum to end its bye week from KJCCC West action.

"It was good to get back in the win column after having a tough stretch there," said Cloud County head coach, Eric Gilliland. "But, overall, I thought it was a little bit of an underwhelming effort from us and we were fortunate to be able to win two games."

The T-Birds rolled over the Broncos in Game One, using a five-run first inning and seven-run fourth to run away with a 13-3 victory.

Cloud County's heart of the order continued to produce as sophomores Grant Schmidt and Kade Wallace each drove in four runs on the day, with Schmidt finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and Wallace adding a multi-hit game at 2-for-4.

With the pair of doubles, 16 of Schmidt's 23 hits so far this season have gone for extra bases.

"I thought our offense did well in Game One of coming out with a plan and ready to hit," Gilliland said. "We attacked the fastball. Grant has just continued to swing the bat well and Kade has been a consistent hitter for us all season."

Redshirt freshman catcher Cole Jackson delivered an RBI single, as well as freshman Connor Laux, while redshirt freshman Jace Armstrong capped the seven-run fourth with a two-run triple.

"He absolutely crushed the ball. It was one of the hardest hit balls of the year," Gilliland said of Armstrong's triple. "He was on time with the fastball. Duncan Field is a huge ballpark. It's 405-feet to the gaps and he burned the center fielder. He hit that ball about as good as he could hit it."

On the mound, freshman Bradan Pierce got the start and pitched the first two innings, striking out three, while fellow freshman Brayden Radcliffe picked up his first career victory with two innings in relief.

As for Game Two, the T-Birds struggled to get the bats going as they were shut out for six innings before rallying for four in the seventh to steal a 4-2 victory.

Cloud County received pinch-hit singles from redshirt freshman Ramon Vingochea and freshman Clayton Loranger, helping set the table for RBI walks by pinch hitters Davis Pratt and Kyler Charchun to tie the score at 2-2.

The T-Birds took the lead for good thanks to a pair of wild pitches by Hastings College JV that scored Loranger and Pratt.

"It was good to see some guys come off the bench and put together quality at-bats and find their way on base," Gilliland said. "It helped that they (Broncos) didn't throw many strikes that inning, but we had good at-bats that resulted in big runs that ultimately allowed us to win the ballgame."

Cloud County was able to remain in the ballgame to that point thanks to quality outings from a trio of bullpen arms.

Freshman right-hander Billy Bechard received his second start and he limited Hastings College JV to a run on three hits while striking out four in his four innings of work.

He gave way to freshman left-hander Trey Asher in the fifth, who pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout, before sophomore Jack Theilen closed the door with a pair of strikeouts in his two effective innings to pick up his first career win.

"Billy wasn't as sharp as his last outing, but he did a good job of getting us into the later part of the game," Gilliland said. "Trey looked good in his inning and it's been nice to see Jack have some success here lately. I think he can continue to be a big part of our bullpen."

Cloud County will enjoy a rare weekend off before it closes out its current stretch of three straight non-conference opponents at 2 p.m. Tuesday on the road against Iowa Western Community College (17-4 overall).

The single, nine-inning contest against the Reivers, who are currently receiving votes in the national rankings and have a national championship winning pedigree, will be a good barometer for the T-Birds before they resume KJCCC West action next Thursday against Butler.

"I love going to play Iowa Western because they are a program that does things right. You either go up there with a chance to win or go up there and learn some hard lessons," Gilliland said. "They expose their mistakes, so we'll have to play a better brand of baseball to go there and win a ballgame. I think we're fully capable of doing that."