Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (April 20, 2019) - Championships are never easy but they are always worth it.

The No. 17 Salt Lake Community College baseball team is learning the truth behind that adage as the season progresses. The team is trying to maintain a narrow lead in the Scenic West Athletic Conference season while still improving with each-and-every game. SLCC continued its game-by-game improvement with a doubleheader sweep of in-state rival USU Eastern Saturday, earning victories of 9-5 and 10-0. The wins boost Salt Lake's record in the Scenic West to 23-4.

Salt Lake will have a bye week next weekend before heading out on the road for their series finale against the College of Southern Nevada. 

Salt Lake 9, USU Eastern 5: A big lead melted away for the Bruins until they closed with strength to pick up the victory in game three of the series.

SLCC jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Cole Gambill hit a two-run triple in the third inning to put the Bruins out to an early lead. However, USU Eastern eventually moved into tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning, setting up the need for another strong finish for the winning team. Salt Lake responded with its own scoring rally in the bottom half of the inning as Jaxson Otis hit a two-run single to break the tie, followed up by two runs scoring on a USU Eastern error.

Alex Bumpus went 2-of-2 in the game and Gambill went 2-of-4. Josh Cowden led the team with three RBI's. Jake Wilson earned the pitching victory, throwing 5.1 innings while striking out six batters. 

Salt Lake 10, USU Eastern 0: After two games that were back-and-forth, Salt Lake removed all doubt in the series finale, powering to the run-rule victory.

The scoring started early on a bases-loaded walk for Salt Lake in the first inning, followed by Colton Moore's two-run single. The Bruins eventually flexed their muscles in the fourth inning, scoring five runs thanks a mix of extra-base hits and contact hitting. First, Alex Bumpus had a sacrifice-fly RBI, followed up by a Cole Gambill RBI double. Tanner Argyle punctuated the inning with a two-run double. 

Argyle finished 2-of-3 at the plate, leading the team with three RBI's. Jaxson Otis, Tyler Dean and Gambill all scored a pair of runs. Salt Lake's pitching was sterling in the victory, allowing just one hit as Jake Dygert earned the victory on the mound.