CHICAGO – Houston Baptist junior leftfielder Luke Clements drove in five runs and scored five runs on the day, going a combined 5-for-9 with a double, a triple and his first three home runs of the season as the Huskies held off Chicago State, 4-3, in game one then swept the doubleheader with a 15-0 drubbing of the Cougars to open a four-game Great West Conference series Friday afternoon at Brooks Field.

“The coaches have been working with me on my swing,” Clements said. “I've started driving the ball well and things are starting to go well for me at the plate. I'm just happy to come out and help the team get a pair of wins.”

Clements went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in the first game, while junior shortstop Collin Hetzler went 2-for-4 with an RBI and freshman second baseman Garrett Tully went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Huskies (14-31, 12-6 GWC).

William Hill went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Weston Lewis went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs for the Cougars (7-33, 2-13). Albert Carpen also added a pair of singles.

The game was scoreless in the top of the fourth, when junior third baseman Ryan Bacak reached on an error and Tully reached on an infield single. Clements followed by ripping a two-out triple into the right-field corner, then scored on Hetzler's infield single for a 3-0 lead.

Chicago State got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Lewis reached on a two-out bunt single, Jack Bobillo singled to left and Gavin Trevino followed with an RBI single to right.

In the sixth, Clements lifted a deep fly ball to right with two outs that carried out of the park for his first home run of the season to put HBU up, 4-1.

In the bottom of the inning, Miguel Camacho led off with an infield single and Lewis singled to right. After a strikeout, Trevino grounded out to first, but the Huskies were unable to turn the double play at second to end the threat. Hill then smashed a two-run single to center to cut the lead to one, but was picked off to end the inning.

Senior lefthander Jamie Storey (1-7) earned his first win of the season, allowing three runs on 10 hits – all singles – while striking out six in seven innings. Derek Borst (0-6) also went the distance in taking the loss for Chicago State, giving up four runs, only one earned, on nine hits and walking three.

In the second game, HBU run-ruled Chicago State in seven innings by pounding out 14 hits, six for extra bases, and tied its season-high with 15 runs in support of junior righthander Dalton Schafer.

Clements went 3-for-5 with a double and two more home runs, driving in a pair and scoring three runs for the Huskies. Senior first baseman Beau Warren went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, while junior designated hitter Robbie Buller went 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored three. Sophomore centerfielder Jake Gonzalez had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in the first game, but rebounded to go 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs in game two. Hetzler also went 2-for-5 with a double and scored two runs, while junior rightfielder Kolby Arnst went 0-for-5, but drove in a run and scored three times. Bacak went 2-for-3 and drove in a run.

Buller, who doubled in the first game, has now reached safely by either a hit, walk or hit by pitch in 21-straight games.

Five different Chicago State players recorded singles, including all three Carpen brothers – Albert, Michael and Jonathan.

HBU jumped out to the lead by scoring six runs in the third. Tully led off with a single to left, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a sacrifice bunt by Adame and scored on another wild pitch. Clements doubled down the right-field line, and Hetzler singled to put runners on the corners. Buller and Gonzalez followed with back-to-back RBI singles. On Gonzalez's single, Buller went to third and scored as the rightfielder overthrew third base, allowing Gonzalez to advance all the way to third. Arnst grounded to shortstop as Gonzalez beat the tag at home and the ball skipped away, allowing Arnst to go to second. Bacak capped the inning with an RBI single to right.

Clements led off the fourth with a solo home run, and Hetzler singled to left-center and went to second as the leftfielder couldn't come up with the ball cleanly. Gonzalez smashed a double off the fence to drive in a run. Warren walked, Bacak was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Tully was hit by a pitch to make the score 9-0.

Clements also led off the fifth with another solo home run to right, his third of the day. After Buller reached on an error and Arnst followed with an infield single, Warren blasted a three-run home run to left as the Huskies increased their lead to 13-0.

HBU tacked on two more in the seventh as Buller walked, Arnst reached on an error and Warren delivered an RBI single to left-center. Freshman Tanner Kalina then pinch hit and grounded out to drive in a run.

Schafer (3-9) picked up the win, shutting out the Cougars on five hits and striking out four in five innings, while sophomore lefthander Matt Warren and junior righthander J.P. Seipel each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Steven O'Hair (0-7) took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings, while Caleb Fialka gave up seven runs, four earned, on seven hits in two innings.