Eastfield Takes Down St. Cloud Tech in World Series

AUBURN, N.Y. – Dallas College Eastfield's No. 2-ranked baseball team beat St. Cloud Technical & Community College, 7-2, in the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series Saturday morning.

The Harvester Bees (47-13) advance to Sunday's 3 p.m. CT second round game against Dallas College Richland (41-18) in a rematch of last Sunday's NJCAA South Central District title game, which the Thunderducks won 17-4.

Eastfield scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth on Payton Poole's solo home run and an RBI off the bat of Michael Caputo on a fielder's choice and an error, allowing John Jackson and JJ Bush to score. That put the Bees up, 3-1. Terrence Moody's RBI single up the middle pulled the Cyclones to pull within a run in the sixth.

But Poole singled up the middle, and Josh Vaughn scored on an error before Bush walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-2 in the seventh. Vaughn's double to center in the eighth brought home Caputo, and River Curs' sacrifice fly added an insurance run in the inning to put the game away.

Vaughn was 2-for-4 with a run batted in, a stolen base and a walk. Poole went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Jackson was 2-for-4. Garret Hendricks went 2-for-4 with a walk.

Eastfield outhit St. Cloud Tech, 9-5.

Sam Holthaus was the lone Cyclone with two hits.

Eastfield starter Tyler Do (11-0) went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks, while recording three strikeouts in the win. Austin Noel picked up the save, going 3.2 innings, allowing a hit and two walks.