Bees Fall in National Semifinal, Meet Gloucester in Elimination Game

BRACKET | PHOTOS

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Dallas College Eastfield's baseball team fell to SUNY Niagra 6-5 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series Tuesday morning.

The loss sends the No. 1-ranked Harvester Bees (46-14) on to Tuesday's 3:30 p.m. semifinal elimination game against Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester (43-12) at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.

Eastfield scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a three-run lead. But SUNY (54-6) answered with a run in the second and four in the fifth to go up 6-4. The Harvester Bees picked up a run in the bottom half of the fifth when Sebastian Palma's sacrifice fly to right scored Luke Sasser to cut the gap to one.

But the Thunder Wolves' reliever Joe Czaja didn't allow another run over the four innings. He went 8.2 innings, allowing a run, three hits and no walks, and struck out eight in the win. He threw 107 pitches. Sasser and Erik Aguirre both doubled off him.

The Harvesters, who went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position and 1 for 9 with two outs, used a two-run homer by Sergio Gastelum on a 2-2 pitch to take a 3-1 lead in the first. Jayden Boyd's RBI single and an error on the play allowed Aguirre to score to bump the lead to three runs.

SUNY Niagra, which went 4 for 10 with runners in scoring position and 6 for 12 with two outs, took the lead in the fifth on Cooper Rossano's RBI single and a pair of RBI groundouts before Cameron Gruarin doubled home Evan Kohr.

Czaja (2-1) did the rest. Eastfield starter Benjamin Sheppard (9-2) suffered his first loss since a bullpen decision to an NJCAA Division I opponent at the beginning of the season.

Cooper Sexton worked two innings in relief, allowing two hits and a walk, and struck out two in relief for the Bees. Trevor Berquist closed the last two innings, giving up just a hit, while fanning two.

Aguirre was 2 for 4. Gastelum went 1 for 4 with the two-run homer – his seventh long ball of the postseason and third at the World Series. Palma was 1 for 2 with two sac flies.

Mike Schaefer had a 3 for 5 with two RBI day at the plate for the Thunder Wolves, who will need to be beat on back-to-back nights Wednesday and Thursday to have the title taken away from them. Dalton Harper was 3 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI. Cam Gravelle and Gruarin each had two of SUNY's 15 hits.

Eastfield was held under 10 hits for just the first time since May 1 – a span of 10 games.

The Harvester Bees were forced to play their second straight morning game after weather pushed their late-night games the past two days into the following day.

It will be the third time in as many trips to the World Series over the past four years Eastfield and RCSJ-Gloucester will play in the national tournament. Gloucester won two straight championship round meetings against the Harvester Bees in 2023 and 2024.