Pictured: Outfielder Richard Bain makes a tough catch.
The Northeast Texas Community College Eagles baseball team moved into first place in the conference Saturday after sweeping a double-header at defending national champion Navarro College in Corsicana, 2-1 and 4-2.
The wins cap a streak that has seen the Eagles win 10 of 12 games in the second round of conference competition and 12 of their last 14 games overall.
The Eagles (24-9, 18-6) came into the weekend series in a tie with the Bulldogs but left Corsicana with a one-game lead in the Region XIV Eastern Zone standings (Navarro has played two less conference games).
NTCC picked up a win in a defensive battle in game one Saturday, outscoring the Bulldogs 2-1.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first in the top of the opening inning as Zach Costa started things with a one-out single to left. Shane Segovia followed with a single to right and Matt Durst drove in Costa with a single to left to put NTCC up 1-0.
Three singles allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game in the bottom of the third, but the Eagles would answer in fourth.
Durst led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to center for the Eagles and later scored on a double to center by Telvin Darden to put NTCC up 2-1.
The Eagle defense held for the final three innings of the contest as NTCC picked up a 2-1 victory.
Segovia and Durst both went 2-3 at the plate to lead the Eagles in the win while Costa, Darden and Wesley Hoover also added hits.
Cade Andrus picked up the win for the Eagles, giving up one run on three hits while walking three and striking out three in five innings of work. Mitchell Davis earned the save, giving up no runs while striking out two in two innings on the mound.
The Eagles needed extra innings to earn a win in game two, using a 2-RBI triple by Dauris Holguin in the 10th inning to pick up a 4-2 victory.
NTCC used a two-out rally to get on the scoreboard first in the third inning as Richard Bain got things going with a single to shortstop. Luis Sanchez followed with a double to left field and Costa brought in both runners with a single to center to put the Eagles up 2-0.
A pair of errors and a single allowed the Bulldogs to cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth before a pair of walks and a single brought in the tying run for Navarro in the bottom of the sixth.†With the game still tied at 2-2 after nine innings, the contest entered extra innings.
It was another two-out rally that gave the Eagles the lead for good in the top of the 10th inning as Darden got things rolling with a triple to right. Eric Hughes walked to keep the inning going before Holguin?s triple to right put the Eagles up 4-2.
Three ground balls led to three quick outs in the bottom of the inning as the Eagles came away with the win.†Costa and Holguin led the Eagles at the plate in the win, both going 1-4 with two RBI each.†Carlos Rodriguez picked up the win for NTCC, giving up one run and one hit while walking three and striking out three in five innings of action. Justin Schnedler started the game for the Eagles and gave up one run on two hits while walking four and striking out one in five innings of work.
NTCC will be at Northlake Wednesday before starting the final round of conference play at home against Bossier Parish Friday.
