By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

HOLCOMB -- Since taking over the Holcomb High School baseball program this season, head coach Brad Bascue has been searching for a connection with his players. Some way to help them believe in his style.

After Monday's Hi-Plains League doubleheader sweep of Sublette, the system Bascue put in this season might just be getting through. The Longhorns won the first game 11-3, then finished the sweep with an 8-4 win in the nightcap. It is Longhorns second straight sweep after beating Syracuse on Saturday.

In the process, Holcomb (5-5, 5-5) had two complete games from pitchers Jordan Wilcox and Devin Carman. The Longhorns had complete games from starters Logan Singhisen and Trey DeLaRose on Saturday as well.

"We're starting to play a better brand of baseball than we did early on," Bascue said. "We didn't really play the game of baseball the way it really needed to be played. Now they're starting to buy in to some things and starting to believe in me and what I try to teach. We're starting to turn the corner a little bit and play better ball."

Monday the Longhorns battled the wind blowing toward the infield in the first game and belted eight hits. Holcomb finished with three extra-base hits including a Carman triple in the bottom of the first inning. A James Beasley double in the fifth that followed a double by LeRoy Tafoya appeared to have a chance to be a home run before the wind slowed the ball from clearing the fence.

"People are hitting the ball now, we're getting our defense down," Carman said.

In every inning of the opener, the Longhorns scored at least one run. In the fifth, Holcomb unloaded four runs to take a 10-2 lead. The only time Sublette was close to the Longhorns was in the second inning. The Larks scored two runs as Brice Peters went home on an infield error and Spur Robinett scored on a past ball. The second inning was the only time Sublette had a hit off Wilcox.

"Jordan -- this is really just his second time on the mound, because his arm has kind of hurt him a little bit early on," Bascue said. "We didn't really want to throw him at first, but his arm has been getting better."

The Longhorns offense continued from where they left off in the first game as they scored three runs in the first inning of the nightcap. Sublette, who scored one run in the first, tied the score with two runs in the second. After the Larks took a 4-3 lead in the third on an errant throw that allowed Robinett to score, the Longhorns added two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Carman held the Larks offense at bay from there.

"I felt pretty loose," Carman said. "I got kind of tired at the end."

Carman hit two Lark batters in the top of the seventh and gave up a single to Brandon Stokes loading the bases. The Longhorn pitcher kept his composure though, and struck out Logan Koehn to end the game.

"You just have to kind of block that out," Carman said of the situation with the bases loaded. "I just had to focus on the batter and make sure to get my teammates ground balls, or something they can make a play off."

Carman (1-1) gave up seven hits and he struck out eight. Just one of the four runs he gave up was earned. On the offensive side, Carman was 1-for-4 in the first game with an RBI and 2-for-4 in the second game. He was joined by Beasley and Tafoya with two hits apiece in game 2.

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Game 1

Holcomb 11, Sublette 3

Sublette 020 001 0 -- 3 2 4

Holcomb 121 241 x -- 11 8 2

Holloway, Gesling (5) and Fox; Wilcox and Brau. W -- Wilcox. L -- Holloway. 2B -- Holcomb, Tafoya,Beasly. 3B -- Holcomb, Carman.

Game 2

Holcomb 6, Sublette 4

Sulbette 121 000 0 -- 4 0 5

Holcomb 302 102 x -- 8 8 4

Stokes and Fox; Carman and Wilson. W -- Carman. L -- Stokes. 2B -- Sublette, Stokes; Holcomb, Tafoya, Wilson, Carman.