North Lake Bows Out in District Tourney to North Arkansas

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – Dallas College North Lake's baseball team couldn't put enough of a late rally together in a 4-2 loss to North Arkansas College to open the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South Central District Tournament Wednesday at Dallas College Brookhaven.

Joseph Binder's two-run double to left in the top of the seventh inning cut the Pioneers' lead in half, but North Arkansas reliever Hagen McGarrah got a double play ball to end the inning, and quieted the North Lake bats the rest of the way, allowing only a two-out ninth inning single to Ayden Franco.

Franco went 3-for-4, becoming the lone Blazer to record multiple hits.

North Arkansas, which received votes in the final NJCAA Division III rankings, advances to play host Dallas College Eastfield at 10 a.m. Thursday in the double-elimination bracket. North Lake finished its season 24-33.

It is the third straight year the Blazers have lost to the Pioneers in the district tournament.

Keaton Ford's two-run home run in the fourth inning spotted North Arkansas (34-16) a four-run lead. His homer to left followed Blythe Blakey's RBI single that gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

Blakey was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ford was 1-for-3.

North Lake's Leo Salas ripped a two-out double in the sixth, but Pioneers starter Ashton Greenlee got a pop out to end the inning. Greenlee went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out three in the win. McGarrah picked up his team-leading sixth save.

The Blazers got the leadoff man on to open the second through fifth innings, but couldn't manufacture enough offense to capitalize.

North Lake's Isaac Lopez did not allow a run, while giving up two hits and a walk, and recording a strikeout in an inning of relief. Jake Nicholson worked the final three innings, giving up three hits, no runs and no walks, while striking out two.