Eastfield Tames Richland, 11-1, in District Semis

Tournament Central Page

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield's No. 2 nationally-ranked baseball team beat 11^th-ranked Dallas College Richland, 11-1, in six innings in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South Central District semifinals Friday.

The same two teams will meet in the championship round 10 a.m. Saturday after Richland beat Dallas College Cedar Valley, 14-5, in the double-elimination semifinals later Friday.

The top seed in the district, Eastfield (44-11) won its 12^th straight game, and improved to 26-3 on its home field this season.

Hunter O'Shea went 3-for-3 with a double, home run, two runs batted in and a walk, Cade Conway had three doubles in four plate appearances, and Gus Witt was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a walk for the Harvester Bees.

Jayden Morgan's RBI single to right in the third inning gave Eastfield a 3-1 lead. Angel Rodriguez banged a two-run homer to center in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-1. Griffin Tarter's bloop RBI single to left made it 7-1.

Eastfield put the game away with four runs in the sixth. River Curs' infield single to score a run, and O'Shea's RBI single ended it on a 10-run differential.

Jadon Fratus drove in Richland's run when he doubled in the first inning. He was 1-for-3. Taylor Hendrix was 2-for-3, and Wes Flatt 1-for-2 for the Thunderducks. Jouseph Gelpi and Nick Chalman both went 1-for-3.  

Harvester Bees starter Cody Ausmus (7-1) went the distance, allowing seven hits, a run and a walk, while striking out three in six innings.

Curs was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tarter was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Rodriguez went 1-for-2 with a walk. Rodriguez's home run was his 15^th of the season.

Eastfield improved to 5-2 against Richland this season, including a 4-0 mark at home.