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Dons End Regular Season with Win over Riverside
SANTA ANA, CA - The Santa Ana College (SAC) baseball team snapped its two-game losing streak with a 12-5 come from behind victory over visiting Riverside College. The Dons (32-11, 17-4) scored nine runs in the fifth inning against four Riverside (27-17, 9-12) pitchers.
Riverside scored first in the third inning when Luis Tovar reached on a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. He scored during the next at bat when Bryce Holland singled to left field.
The Dons answered in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Matt Allen (Orange HS) walked and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Tigers pitcher on a failed pick off during Casey Rihn's (La Habra HS) at bat. Rihn then doubled to left field allowing Allen to score the tying run.
Riverside took the lead back in the fourth inning as they scored two runs on three hits highlighted by a solo home run by Nicholas Akins. The Tigers extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth when Cody Madison singled in Billy Hamilton from third.
The Dons, who had been struggling offensively, came alive in the home half of the fifth to take a commanding lead in the game. Travis Leverson (Chaparral HS) led the inning off by reaching on a dropped fly ball to left field followed by a single by Marcus Piazzisi (El Dorado HS). Allen then reached on a bunt to load the bases and Rihn hit a bases clearing double to right centerfield to tie the game at 4-4.
Two batters later Jake Eccles (Temescal Canyon HS) hit a two-run home run that gave SAC its first lead at 6-4. Caleb Boyer (Temecula Valley HS) was then hit by a pitch and Crispin Tarango (Diamond Bar HS) reached on an error that allowed Boyer to score.
Nate Bridges (Villa Park HS) continued the inning with a single through the right side that advanced Tarango to third. Leverson came up for his second at bat of the inning and hit a RBI-double to score Tarango. Bridges later scored on a passed ball and Allen's sacrifice fly scored Leverson for the final run of the inning.
Riverside used four pitchers during the fifth inning and allowed nine runs on seven hits with two errors and one walk. Kesler Reifel was the final pitcher in the inning and he struck out the only batter he faced for the final out.
SAC added two more runs in the sixth inning with Eccles scoring on a fielder's choice by Tarango who later scored on a double by Piazzisi.
Boyer led the Dons as he reached base during all five plate appearances. He went 3-for-3 with a run, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Rihn produced the most runs for SAC as he finished 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Nick Culver (Esperanza HS) improved to 2-0 on the season as he pitched one inning without allowing a run in relief. Starting pitcher Brad Wilson (Pacifica HS) gave up two runs on four hits in three innings pitched and was relieved by Nick Capito (La Quinta HS) who allowed two runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
Eric Cendejas (Corona HS) gave up one run while striking out four batters and allowing two hits in three innings pitched and Henry Buenrostro (Santa Ana HS) got the final out of the game against the only batter he faced.
NEXT: Regional Playoffs vs. TBD, Friday, May 9 at 3:00 p.m. |
