It's been the M.O. for the Western Nevada College baseball team ever since the program began. Throw strikes, catch the ball and come through with the clutch hit.

WNC used that formula behind the pitching of Jake Waardenburg, Tim Peterson, Kramer Champlin and Jeff Barto to sweep a doubleheader against Arizona's Pima Community College on Friday in Las Vegas, winning the opener 5-3 and the nightcap 5-2.

The two teams were originally scheduled to play just one game on Friday but with rain in the forecast, they played a doubleheader. Showers fell throughout the first game on Friday.

The two teams are scheduled to play one game at 11 a.m. Saturday at Sierra Vista High. If the two teams are unable to play Saturday, they will play a doubleheader, beginnin at 11 a.m. Sunday at Sierra Vista. If the two teams play on Saturday, they'll play a single game on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m.

WNC (4-2) struggled offensively in splitting their opening series of the season last weekend against Arizona's South Mountain Community College. In four games, the Wildcats struck out 44 times and left 42 runners. But in the two games on Friday, WNC struck out just eight times.

"We cleaned that up considerably," said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore about his team's offensive woes.

The Wildcats also didn't commit an error in the two games on Friday. "We played perfect defense and we threw a lot of strikes," Whittemore said. "That's the recipe."

Waardenburg (2-0) didn't allow a run through the first six innings in the opener before leaving with a runner at first with one out in the seventh inning and a 4-0 lead. Kyle DiMartino entered and was the victim of bad luck when Pima executed three straight hit and run plays and ended up scoring three runs to cut the deficit to 4-3.

"I'm not sure what happened," Whittemore said. "It was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen."

Champlin came on with runners at first and third and one out and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Champlin pitched 2 2/3 innings scoreless innings, striking out five, to pick up the save. Champlin has allowed one earned run in nine innings so far this season.

Waardenburg was charged with one earned run in 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight. Waardenburg has allowed one earned in 12 2/3 innings so far this season. "He was dealing," Whittemore said. "He was cruising again."

WNC took a 2-0 lead in the third when Andrew Garcia and Jay Skilton singled ahead of Trevor Goff's RBI single. The Wildcats scored another run on a wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Garcia singled, stole second and came around on a passed ball and a wild pitch to make it 3-0. In the sixth, WNC scored on another wild pitch to take a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Skilton singled, stole second and scored on Kyle Conwell's two-out hit to give the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.

Garcia was 2-for-3, Skilton was 2-for-4, Spencer Ofelt went 1-for-3 with a double, Brooks Klein was 1-for-2 and Chris Sinclair added a hit for WNC.

In the nightcap, Peterson allowed one run through 6 1/3 innings. "He was in complete control," Whittemore said.

Barto had his second straight outstanding outing as he allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings while striking out four. Offensively, Skilton was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs, Conwell went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI, Eric Maupin had a hit and Sinclair added an RBI sacrifice fly.

Pat McMeel was the victim of bad luck as he went 0-for-3. In his first at bat, McMeel hit a shot off the pitchers foot that went to the shortstop and he was retired. In his sceond at bat, McMeel hit a deep drive in which the center fielder made a runningover-the-shoulder catch. In his last at bat, McMeel was robbed of extra bases when the third baseman made a leaping catch.

Note: Whittemore said Champlin could possibly pitch on Sunday if needed.