Bears Move into Second Place in DAC
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – Dallas College Brookhaven has played its way into second place in the league with three games to go.
The Bears swept a three-game series with Dallas College Cedar Valley after winning Saturday's finale 11-6, and after Dallas College Richland (23-25-1, 15-12) and Dallas College North Lake (24-28, 14-13) both dropped games Sunday, Brookhaven moved into sole possession of second place in the Dallas Athletic Conference.
The Bears (23-25, 16-11 DAC) will meet No. 1 nationally-ranked and league champion Dallas College Eastfield (39-12, 12-4) in the final series of the year. Wednesday's scheduled game is the final home contest of the season. The series is set to conclude at Eastfield – the site of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South Central District Tournament May 13-16.
The top two teams in the DAC will receive a first round bye in the district tournament. Eastfield has already secured one of those spots. Richland and North Lake will finish the regular season in a series with each other.
Brookhaven's win over Cedar Valley (17-32, 5-22) in the series finale marked the Bears' fifth straight win and their fifth series win of the season.
Payton Stephenson and AJ Garcia each doubled twice, and drove in a combined three runs for the Bears. Brady Breedlove went 3 for 4 with a double. Bradley Boedeker homered, walked twice and had four runs batted in as the Bears collected 11 hits to the Suns' 10.
Cedar Valley's Julio Cuotto went 3 for 5 with two RBI. Easton Bettcher went 2 for 4 with a double, two walks and an RBI.
Brookhaven reliever Cannon Hathorn got the win, working three innings, allowing a run on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Logan Watson and Tanner Galik pitched the final two innings, combining to shut the Suns down. Galik came on to record the final out.
With the score tied at 6, the Bears put three runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to seal the sweep.
It was the fourth time in the last five games Brookhaven has won by scoring 10 or more runs.