Bears Move to 7-1 after Going 3-1 Last Week
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – Dallas College Brookhaven's baseball team won three of its four games last week to improve to 7-1. It is the best start in three years for Brookhaven, which opened the COVID-restricted 2021 Dallas Athletic Conference-only season with a 9-1 mark.
After suffering its first loss – a 10-4 setback to Paris Junior College – Brookhaven bounced back with a 6-2 win over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa and a doubleheader sweep of McCook Community College, 5-4 and 9-4. Saturday's single game against McCook was canceled due to weather.
The Bears had seven hits in three of the four games last week, and drove in five or more runs in three of them. Seven different Bears had a hit in the win over Tonkawa, while the top four batters in the lineup, Caden Liebenstein, Caden Roeschen, Landon Kerkmaz and Bo Dinscore, each drove in a run. Mason Gilliam also had an RBI in the first victory of the week. Kenneth Haynes went 2 2/3 innings in relief against Tonkawa, allowing just a walk to pick up the victory on the mound.
Liebenstein homered, and drove in three runs in the Game 1 win over McCook, while Edgar Quintero and Isaiah Nava both went 2-for-3. Alex Rangel had a double, RBI, two stolen bases and a pair of walks. Slayde Berry improved to 2-0 on the bump, allowing five hits, four runs and two walks, and struck out three. Grant Colson earned the save after inheriting a pair of runners with no outs before retiring the next three hitters in the seventh to secure the win.
In Game 2 against McCook, Kerkmaz was 2-for-3, Dinscore homered, walked and drove in two runs in two official at-bats, and Nava went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Brooks Howson doubled and drove in two runs in three plate appearances. Liebenstein was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Caden Sisson and Gilliam both had an RBI, with Gilliam going 1-for-4. Noah Ferraro went six innings on the hill, giving up six hits, four runs and two walks, and had one strikeout in the win. Jacob Christian pitched the final inning, allowing two walks, no hits and no runs, and struck out one to seal the deal.
Brookhaven's 5-4 win over McCook was its first one-run victory of the season. The Bears have won six games by four or more runs. They've outscored their opponents, 77-32.
The Bears are scheduled to play their next five games on the road against National Junior College Athletic Association Division I opponents, beginning with Tuesday's 4 p.m. nonconference matchup at McClennan Community College.