Miles opened the 2019 season Friday with a doubleheader against Morehouse, looking for a new batch of stars to replace the decorated 2018 senior class that brought the Golden Bears their first SIAC crown and two straight Western Division titles. It did not take long for those newer faces to come to the forefront in a 7-0, 18-8 sweep of the Maroon Tigers at historic Rickwood Field. Will Cantey, Destin Davidson, Jacob Bisharat and Alex Bentley paced the offensive attack while Jacob Schuster and Zavian Caldwell were lights out on the mound.

GAME 1 - Miles 7, Morehouse 0

Davidson hit the first pitch he saw in a Miles uniform for a double and scored on a Bisharat single in the bottom of the first to give the Golden Bears an early 1-0 lead. That would be all the help that Schuster (1-0) needed as he mowed down the Maroon Tigers into the sixth inning. He struck out eight and allowed just two hits in 5 1/3 innings before giving way to Caldwell, who allowed just one hit in the final 1 2/3 innings, recording each out by strikeout.

While the Golden Bears did not need more than the first inning run, the offense got more to make life a little more comfortable for Schuster and Calwell. Cantey had a RBI double in the third before Miles broke the game open in the fifth against Morehouse starter Demetrius Burton (0-1). Davidson tripled, and after Bentley walked and stole second, Bisharat singled to plate them both. Peyton Logan would follow with a double before Cantey doubled into right, scoring two more for a 6-0 advantage. A Brandon Conner sacrifice fly would bring home Cantey to close the scoring.

GAME 2 - Miles 18, Morehouse 8

The night cap was a bit closer than the final score indicated as the Golden Bears fell behind early and trailed as they came to bat in the fifth. But Miles would score 12 times in its final two at-bats to make a winner out of Andrew Datcher (1-0), who tossed 1 1/3 innings in relief of starter Tanner Stinnett.

After being blanked on just three hits in the opener, Morehouse put three runs on the board in the first. Stinnett struggled with the strike zone in the first, loading the bases with two walks and a hit by pitch to the first three batters. He was one strike away from getting out of the jam with just one run allowed but a two-run double by Daniel Mumphrey in front of a diving attempt in center by Conner kept the Maroon Tigers rally going. 

Miles would get two of the runs back in the first on RBI from Bisharat and Cantey, then took the lead in a four-run third, which was punctuated with a 2-run double by Cantey. But Stinnett, who allowed just one hit and struck out six in 3 1/3 innings, walked the bases loaded again in the fourth, prompting coach Ty Roberts to bring in Datcher. Unfortunately, Datcher uncorked a wild pitch and walked his first hitter, then gave up a bases-clearing double to Jayln Hawkins to give Morehouse a 7-6 lead on just two hits.

But Miles had the final say when it exploded during a nine-run fifth. Cantey tied the game at 7 with a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner Dalton Roberts. Miles would then put nine consecutive hitters on base against Kris Skinner (0-1) and Jason Davis. Roderick Ransom, Bentley and Cantey each had 2-run hits, which surrounded a bases-loaded walk to Roberts to make the score 15-7. Bisharat and Levi Allred added RBI as part of a 3-run sixth to close out the scoring for the Golden Bears.

UP NEXT: Miles travels to Auburn-Montgomery on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.