May 11, 2007 - BOXSCORE
Santa Ana Wins First of Three Game Playoff Series

SANTA ANA, CA - Despite a slow start offensively, #1 Santa Ana College (SAC) defeated #17 Rio Hondo College (RHC) 9-1 in the first game of the Southern California Regional Baseball Playoff.

The game began as a pitcher's duel with both SAC's Matt Dufour (El Dorado HS) and RHC's Jamil Acosta holding their opponent's offense at bay. The Dons cracked Acosta in the bottom of the fifth inning after Manny Caceres (Santa Ana Valley HS) hit a single up the left side. He was followed by Andy Navarrette (Mater Dei HS) who singled to center field advancing Caceres to third. Caceres scored in the next at-bat when Travis Leverson (Chaparral HS) hit an RBI single up the right side.

Casey Rihn (La Habra HS) led off the sixth inning by getting hit by a pitch followed by a single by Tyler Hogan (Servite HS). After Caleb Boyer (Temecula Valley HS) walked, Caceres hit a two-run single to left field, scoring Rihn and Hogan. After a sacrifice bunt by Navarrette, Leverson hit a three-run home run scoring Boyer and Caceres . He was followed by Nick Tanos (Cypress HS) who hit a solo home run on the first pitch capping off a six-run inning by the Dons.

SAC added another run in the seventh when Navarrette hit a RBI single to right field scoring Rihn. The Dons final run came in the eighth inning when Tanos hit his second solo home run of the game putting the Dons up 9-0.

Dufour pitched a complete game for the Dons to improve to 10-4 on the season while allowing only one run in the ninth inning. He scattered seven hits with four strikeouts and only one walk.

The two teams will face off again in the morning at 11:00 a.m. with SAC looking to complete the sweep in the second game. A third game, if necessary, will be played 30 minutes immediately following the completion of the first game.