Bees Buzz by Thunderducks to Win Series, Sit Atop DAC Standings

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield's baseball team won the final two games of its high-stakes series against Dallas College Richland to find itself alone at the top of the Dallas Athletic Conference.

No. 2 nationally-ranked Eastfield beat No. 4 Richland, 10-8 and 8-6, in Games 2 and 3 of the series after the Thunderducks took Game 1. The two wins leaves the Harvester Bees (25-7, 8-1 DAC) in first place in the league, two games ahead of Richland (19-11, 6-3).

In Game 2, the Harvesters got out to a four-run lead after two innings. The Thunderducks scored three in the third to cut it to 4-3. After Eastfield responded with a run in the fourth, Richland put two on the board in the fifth to tie it, 5-5. The Bees retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a run, before the Thunderducks tied it back up in the seventh with a run of their own. Eastfield cashed in for four runs in the eighth to take a 10-6 lead before holding Richland to two in the ninth to win it in a game both teams had 10 hits.

John Jackson, Payton Poole and Michael Caputo each had two hits for the Bees. Jackson and Poole each drove in a run. Trenton McGee doubled, walked twice and had three RBI. JJ Bush tripled, and drove in a pair.

Richland's Robby Lopez had three hits and two RBI. Trey Smith was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Kelton Phillips was 2-for-6 with a double and an RBI. Nick Hockemeyer singled, and drove in two runs.

Austin Noel got the win in relief, working 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Nick Lozano got the final out to hold the lead and lock down the victory.

In the series finale, Eastfield overcame a 6-3 hole, scoring twice in the fourth and twice in the fifth to take control of the game. The Bees picked up an insurance run in the seventh, and Ryan Dyer closed the door on the mound.

Josh Vaughn was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Bush and Aubrey Whitehead each had a solo homer. Poole also went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Caputo was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Richland's Eimir Perez was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Smith went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI. Lopez was 1-for-4 with a sacrifice fly RBI. Hockemeyer was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Jouseph Gelpi went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases.

Dyer worked the final three innings, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks, and fanned three to seal the win.

Eastfield begins its three-game series with Dallas College Mountain View (11-14, 1-8) on the road noon Wednesday. The final two games of the series Thursday and Friday will be at home.