Eastfield Finishes as National Runner-Up

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GREENEVILLE, Tennessee – Dallas College Eastfield's baseball team finished as the national runner-up for the second straight year. Eastfield fell 15-7 to Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester Thursday in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III championship round.

It marks the third runner-up finish for the Harvester Bees in program history. Eastfield has won three national championships – the last in 2011. RCSJ-Gloucester won its eighth national title, and first since 2013.

RCSJ-Gloucester (53-5) beat Eastfield (48-13) twice in the World Series. The Roadrunners outhit the Harvester Bees, 19-13, Thursday.

The Harvester Bees took a 7-6 lead in the fifth when Hunter O'Shea scored on a wild pitch. O'Shea's RBI single to right tied the game. RCSJ-Gloucester reclaimed the lead in its half of the inning when Aaron Graeber delivered a two-out, two-run single to center field. That gave the Roadrunners a 9-7 lead.

Gloucester extended its lead to 11-7 on Justin Kilyk's two-run single to center in the sixth. The Roadrunners broke the game open with four more runs, aided by Rocko Brzezniak's three-run homer to left, in the seventh to take an eight-run lead.

Eastfield's Cade Conway and Hunter O'Shea both went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Gus Witt went 2-for-4. Griffin Tarter was 2-for-4. Manny Moore and River Curs both were 2-for-5. Jayden Morgan was 1-for-5. Conway had three stolen bases.

Gloucester's Felix Diaz was 4-for-5 with three RBI. Scotty Young was 4-for-5 with an RBI and a walk. Aaron Graeber was 3-for-5 with three RBI.  

Eastfield grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fourth when Conway ripped a two-run single to right field. RCSJ-Gloucester went ahead 5-4 in the bottom half of the inning on Scotty Young's RBI double to right-center and Graeber's RBI single to center. Graeber later scored on a wild pitch to put the Roadrunners ahead by two.

RCSJ scored three runs in the first to take the lead. Eastfield picked up a run in the second when Moore scored on O'Shea's RBI groundout. In the third, Angel Rodriguez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pulling the Harvester Bees within 3-2. With the bases still loaded, Gloucester starter Kevin Opanel got a strikeout and double play to end the threat.

Opanel went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Danny Kerr faced two batters, allowing a hit and a walk. Tim Hartman (11-0) went the final 5.1 innings, giving up three runs, six hits and a walk, and struck out four in the win.

Eastfield starter Jacob Prokarym gave up three runs, four hits and a walk, and struck out three in two innings. It was his first outing since March 29. Ryan Dickey (9-3) worked the next 2.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs and a walk, with two strikeouts in the loss. Marcus Peters pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three runs, three hits, two walks, and had a strikeout. Nick Lozano worked one inning, allowing four runs, four hits and no walks, while striking out two. Austin Noel allowed just a hit, and struck out two in one inning.

The Harvesters were playing their fifth game in six days in the double-elimination World Series.