Career
College and Amateur
Bales spent his entire college career at Western Illinois University. He made a total of 72 appearances for the Leathernecks and tallied 11 goals and 10 assists. He also played in the Premier Development League for Des Moines Menace.
Professional
Bales joined USL expansion club Charlotte Independence for the 2015 season.
On March 27, he made his professional debut in a 3–2 defeat to Charleston Battery.