It was worth the wait. Finally playing their first home games of the season, the Bees swept a doubleheader from Indiana South Bend by scores of 9-8 and 5-4 in 11 innings Friday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park.

The opener of a weekend four-game set featured three big innings. St. Ambrose (10-11, 4-4 CCAC) struck first, plating five runs in the bottom of the third. Joey Fitzgerald had a two-run single while Brandon Matias, Adrian Zietara and Dan Laughery each drove in one.

IUSB (11-7, 3-7 CCAC) returned the favor in the fifth, scoring seven times. But SAU came back in the bottom of the inning. Fitzgerald doubled to bring in Brock Webber and Laughery singled in Zietara to tie the game. Garrett Latoz followed with a two-run double to cap a four-run frame that put the Bees in front 9-7.

The Titans pushed across a single run in the top of the seventh before the Bees closed out the victory.

Webber and Fitzgerald each had two hits. Jake Jacek earned the win in relief, allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out two. Sergio Marchizza struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings before giving way to Grant Baker and Jacek.

St. Ambrose pitchers were even better in the second game as Jacob Bosse and Brad Niedzwiedz combined for 20 strikeouts in the 11-inning win.

After surrending the game-tying run in the top of the ninth, and after leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, the Bees finally wrapped things up in the 11th. Fitzgerald drew a lead-off walk and pinch runner Jalen Avery took second on Zietara's sacrifice bunt. After Laughery walked, Bryce Vincent's high bouncer got just over the third basemen's head for his second hit of the game, allowing Avery to score.

It concluded a back-and-forth game. IUSB took a 2-0 lead in the third before RBIs from Noah McCreary and Webber tied the game in the bottom of the inning. The Titans took a short-lived 3-2 lead in the fourth before a Chris McFarland single tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame. Fitzgerald's sacrifice fly scored Avery in the seventh before IU-South Bend tied the game in the ninth, setting up Vincent's extra-inning heroics.

Bosse struck out eight while allowing two earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. Niedzwiedz was dominant, recording 12 strikeouts and just one unearned run over 7 1/3 innings to get the win.

The two teams will wrap up their series at Modern Woodmen Park beginning Saturday at 12 p.m.