Bears Take Series from No. 5 Blazers
IRVING, Texas – Dallas College Brookhaven's baseball team pulled even again with Dallas College North Lake, winning the rubber game of the series Thursday 5-1.
The Bears (17-21, 10-8 Dallas Athletic Conference) and the fifth-ranked Blazers (20-19, 10-8) are tied for third in the league, a game behind idle Dallas College Richland (17-19-1, 9-7). Brookhaven split the season series with North Lake, each winning one of the two series 2-1.
Brookhaven scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a four-run lead. Payton Stephenson drove in Abraham Fortis with a two-out RBI single after a pair of runs scored on an error.
Bears catcher Luis Fuenmayor, who went 3 for 4, drove in the game's first run in the second.
North Lake's Jackson Franks had a two-out RBI single to score Issac Garcia in the fourth as the Blazers cut it to 4-1. Garcia doubled earlier in the inning. It was the only two-hit inning Brookhaven's pitching staff allowed in the game.
Bears starter Blake Ward went the first four innings, allowing a run on four hits and a walk, and struck out two before turning it over to Clayten Mixon. Mixon pitched the final five innings, giving up two hits in shutout relief. He had three strikeouts and no walks. Mixon retired straight batters before Garcia singled in the ninth.
Garcia was 3 for 4 for the Blazers.
Brookhaven center fielder Nash Nichols went 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored. First baseman Brett Petillo singled in a run in the seventh to stretch the Bears' lead back to four.
"We had the offense rolling," Ward said. "We (got some) help behind me with defense. I know I'm not going to blow people away with my stuff, so I was just trying to let my defense compete in the game, and then hand things over to Clay."
The Bears had 10 hits, marking the second time in the series they reached double digits. Both times resulted in Brookhaven wins.
Brookhaven is scheduled to play at Northeast Texas Community College 1 p.m. Monday before beginning a three-game series with Richland at home noon Wednesday.
"We want to get rolling through this second half of conference play, and get a deep run going through playoffs," Ward said. "Winning these crucial games really help us out with our momentum."