BRADENTON, Fla. - NCF Baseball bounced back from its 11-10 Opening Day defeat to sweep a Saturday doubleheader from Saint Xavier, winning Game 1 7-0 and Game 2 11-0.

The wins were the first two of head coach Eric Skouglund's tenure leading the Mighty Banyans.

Game 1

NCF jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead as in the bottom of the second Domenic Fernandez lifted a sac-fly and Andrew Merchant ripped an RBI double.

From there, it added plenty of insurance as NCF plated three in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run double from Wil Gregory and two in the bottom of the sixth.

Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher Ryan Swartz was masterful on the hill as he tossed a 7.0 inning complete-game shutout that saw him allow just three hits, walk just one and strikeout nine Cougars.

Game 2

Game 2 saw NCF get off to an even quicker start as it scored six in the bottom of the first as Matthew Merk hit an RBI single, Fernando Espinal ripped a two-run double, Brodie Whitlock hit a two-run single and Fernandez hit an RBI double.

NCF would add insurance in both the third and fourth as Merchant hit an RBI double in the bottom of the third and the Mighty Banyans playedfour in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by an RBI triple from Espinal.

On the mound, southpaw Owen McKinley earned the win in the run-ruled shortened affair as he tossed 4.0-plus innings of scoreless ball that saw him before handing things over to Braxten Plemons, who tossed 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.

Up Next: NCF and Saint Xavier will complete its four-game series Sunday at 11 a.m.