No. 1 Bees Sting North Lake for 30th Win

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield's newly-minted No. 1-ranked baseball team pulled away from Dallas College North Lake for a 5-1 win Wednesday.

The Harvester Bees, who were vaulted into the top spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III rankings this week, collected their 30^th win of the season, spoiling former assistant coaches Lance Fairchild and Albert Najera's return to the Hive. Both of the first-year North Lake coaches spent time with the Bees' back-to-back national runner-up teams the previous two seasons. Fairchild took over as North Lake's head coach this season.

Eastfield (30-7, 12-1 Dallas Athletic Conference) is the first NJCAA Division III team to win 30 games this season.

Harvester Bees starter Marcus Peters (7-1) went five innings, allowing a run on three hits and five walks, and struck out five in the win. Closer Ryan Johnston worked the final four innings, scattering three hits, no runs and no walks to earn the save.

Michael Caputo's two-out, two-run single to center in the bottom of the eighth gave the Harvesters a 4-1 run lead. Josh Vaughn followed with an RBI single on a 3-1 count to make it a four-run game. Johnston got a double play ball and a flyout in the ninth to wrap up the victory.

Caputo was 3-for-4, and Vaughn went 2-for-4.

North Lake (15-19, 7-6) got out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Leo Salas' RBI double play groundout. With a runner on third, Peters coaxed a fly ball on the next hitter to avoid any more damage. Eastfield took a 2-1 lead on John Jackson's two-run double to right in the fifth. It remained a one-run game until Caputo broke through.

Blazers starter Logan Stark went the first four innings, surrendering three hits and a walk without giving up a run. He struck out five in his first extended outing since going five innings on Feb. 9.

Noah Angus had two of North Lake's six hits, and had a stolen base. Lincoln Skinner and Robert Farr each went 1-for-2 with a walk with a stolen base. Jacob Binder was 1-for-3. Eastfield outhit the Blazers, 10-6. Jackson was 2-for-4. River Curs doubled in three plate appearances. Payton Poole and Billy Spratt each had a hit.

The series shifts to North Lake Friday and Saturday, beginning at noon both days.