Eastfield Falls in World Series, Capping Martin's Hall of Fame Career

WORLD SERIES TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | PHOTOS

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Dallas College Eastfield's baseball season came to an end at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series Tuesday.

The No. 1-ranked Harvester Bees fell to Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester 12-10 in the semifinal elimination at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in the double-elimination tournament.

It is the third time in four years Gloucester (44-12) ended the Bees' season at the World Series, having won the 2023 and 2024 meetings in the championship round. RCSJ-Gloucester moves on to play SUNY Niagra (54-6) in the championship Wednesday, needing two wins to beat the Thunder Wolves to win their fourth consecutive title.

It was the final game for outgoing 25-year head coach Michael Martin, who ends his career with an 868-461-1 record at Eastfield. He had an overall coaching record of 974-559-3, which included four years at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. His teams won two national titles at Eastfield, and were the national runner-up in three straight years from 2022-24.

Erik Aguirre went 4 for 5 with a home run, double and five runs batted in for the Bees (46-15). Sebastian Vasquez had three hits, and the nation's leading home run hitter Sebastian Palma was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base. He drove in a run with two outs in the ninth to keep the Harvesters' hopes alive. Luke Sasser also had two hits and a ninth-inning stolen base. Jayden Boyd was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.

Eastfield was forced to play its second game of the day after delays pushed the Bees' two late games the nights before into the following morning.

The Bees scored in each of the first three innings to take a 3-2 lead. The Roadrunners, who matched Eastfield with an 8-for-15 showing at the plate with two outs, scored three in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 lead.

Eastfield tied the game in the top of the fifth on Boyd's RBI double and Jake Pickering's sacrifice fly to center. But RCSJ-Gloucester scored six more in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good.

Aguirre's three-run homer – his 12^th of the year – in the sixth cut the Roadrunners' lead to four. Boyd drove in his second run of the game on a single to score Sergio Gastelum in the eighth to make it 12-9. But Palma's RBI single with two outs in the ninth to bring home Sasser wasn't enough to send the Bees' pitching staff out to the mound again.

Gloucester's Alex Apicella and Nick Slogik each had three hits, and combined to drive in five runs.

Eastfield closer Turner Corey worked the final three innings, allowing a run on one hit and a walk, and struck out two in a game both teams had 15 hits.

It was the Harvester Bees' eighth appearance in the World Series, and the first time they did not advance to the championship round. Eastfield has three national titles in 2001, 2006 and 2011. The Bees were the national runner-up in 1998 and three straight times from 2022-24.