Eastfield Captures 4th Straight DAC Championship

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield's baseball team wrapped up the Dallas Athletic Conference regular season title Sunday after beating Dallas College Richland 13-5.

Ranked No. 3 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll, the Harvester Bees (43-9, 22-5 DAC) won the final two games of the three-game series to clinch the title. It is Eastfield's fourth consecutive DAC regular season championship.

The Bees will host the NJCAA Division III South Central District Tournament May 15-17. The first round single-elimination games will be played at either Richland (29-22, 18-9) or Dallas College Brookhaven, who are separated by one game entering the final series of the regular season this week.

With the Harvesters leading 5-4 in a tight game, Luke Sasser ripped an RBI triple, and Jorge Herrera belted a two-run home in the fourth inning to give the Bees a four-run cushion. Eastfield tacked on three more runs in the fifth to stretch the lead to 11-4. The Bees, who finished with 10 hits, scored a run in the seventh and eighth innings to put it away.

Michael Caputo was 2 for 2 with a home run, two RBI and two stolen bases. It was his sixth homer of the year. Erik Aguirre went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Brandon Sheets was 2 for 5 with a home run and a pair of RBI. It was his team-leading eighth home run. Herrera drove in three runs to bump his team-leading RBI total to 70. Sasser was 1 for 2 with two RBI, two walks and a stolen base. 

Ryan Dyer (7-0) got the win on the mound, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, six hits and three walks, while fanning six. Cooper Sexton closed the game over the final 2 2/3 innings, giving up just a walk. 

The Harvester Bees will meet Brookhaven (29-24, 17-10) in the final regular season series. Eastfield is scheduled to host Game 1 Wednesday at noon. The Bears are set to host Games 2-3 Friday and Saturday at noon.