GREENVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastfield Harvester Bees defeated the Niagara County Thunderwolves 10-1 to advance to the semifinals in the NJCAA DIII World Series today at Pioneer Park. Run rule ended the game at seven innings. 

Niagara scored the first run of the game, but Eastfield took the lead during the bottom of the first inning. They increased their lead when infielder Cade Conway hit a 2-run home run in the second inning, followed by a single from center fielder Kyson Snelson and a run from Griffin Tarter in the fourth inning.

“I feel like it’s pretty easy to stay locked in in this environment and this atmosphere,” Conway said. “Just seeing it well right now trying to put some good swings on balls.”

Conway hit two home runs for Eastfield during the game, both of which were 2-run home runs.

“I was just having fun,” Conway said. “When you’re playing like that and beating teams like that, it’s just too much fun.”

Cody Ausmus (8-1) pitched the entire game, striking out six batters, and allowing one run and 2 walks.

“You just gotta stay in the right mindset and trust the lord,” he said. “He’s gonna guide you.  So as long as   you trust him, he’s gonna keep you going.”

Second baseman Gus Witt was the leading scorer for Eastfield, going 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI. Jayden Morgan was 3-for-3 with a home run, and Snelson was also 3-for-3 with two runs scored. 

Eastfield coach Michael Martin said he was surprised by how much his team dominated in the game today.

“I really thought that this game was going to be a really tough game,” he said. “Niagara is a good team. We thought they were one of the better teams in this tournament, and for us to go out there and dominate, like, it seemed a little bit too easy.”

While Martin is happy for his team to play in the semifinals, he has no preference for any particular team they face.

“You don’t have any control over that,” he said. “We don’t sit around and go ‘we want to play these guys, those guys.’ Whoever’s the next opponent up, that’s who’s in front of us and that’s what we’re going to concentrate on.”

The Harvester Bees will play RCSJ Gloucester at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.