Thunderducks Strike in Thriller to Reach District Semis
MESQUITE, Texas – Lukas Boone's single in the bottom of the ninth scored Trey Smith for the gamewinning run in Dallas College Richland's 5-4 win over Dallas College Brookhaven in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South Central District Tournament Thursday at Dallas College Eastfield.
The eighth-ranked Thunderducks (33-22) advance to meet fourth-ranked Eastfield (44-12) in Friday's 10 a.m. semifinals. No. 13 Brookhaven (33-25) will play Dallas College North Lake (23-35) at 1 p.m. in an elimination game.
Brookhaven scored four runs in the eighth to take a one-run lead. Brett Petillo's two-out, pinch-hit single to left followed Abraham Fortis' sacrifice fly to pull the Bears within 3-2. Aidan Corey's single gave Brookhaven the 4-3 lead.
With one out in the ninth, Bobby Gutierrez, Smith and Jhosnel Ruiz all singled to load the bases. Jordan Owns' sacrifice fly tied the game at 4. Then Boone rapped the gamewinning hit up the middle, setting off a Thunderducks' celebration.
Gutierrez was 2 for 4. Smith went 3 for 5 with his nation-leading 30th double and an RBI. Ruiz was 2 for 4. Owns was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Robby Lopez cranked a solo homer to left to lead off the seventh, extending Richland's lead to 3-0. It was Lopez's third home run of the season.
Smith doubled home Gutierrez in the third to put the Thunderducks up 1-0. He later scored on Boone's RBI groundout to make it 2-0. Boone was 1 for 5.
Thunderducks starter Bron Farr went the first 7 2/3 innings before giving way to Jaylen Cream. Cream (3-1) didn't surrender a run, gave up one hit and a walk, and struck out two in the win.
Brookhaven's Isaiah Nava doubled and singled in five at-bats. Mason Gilliam had a pinch-hit double in the four-run eighth. Corey was 3 for 4.
It will be the fourth straight year Richland and Eastfield will meet in the semifinals. The Thunderducks won last year's battle. The Harvester Bees won the previous two meetings.
