February 28, 2009 - Results
Early Errors Prove Costly in Dons Loss to Cypress

SANTA ANA, CA - The Santa Ana College (SAC) baseball team committed five early errors that led to eight runs in its 11-10 loss to visiting Cypress College in an Orange Empire Conference game.

Cypress (12-6, 2-0) scored three unearned runs with two outs in the top of the second inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Mike Barnhill reached on an error with two outs allowing Rick Eisenberg to score; it was the Dons (12-5, 1-1) second error of the inning.

Christian Ramirez reached on another SAC error in the next at-bat allowing Johnathan Morales to score. The Chargers final run of the inning came on a single through the middle of the infield.

After a scoreless third, Cypress tacked on three more runs, two unearned. Barnhill led the inning off by reaching on an error, followed by a triple by Ramirez scoring Barnhill. After Jonathan Hurst walk, Stephen Kaupang hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring Ramirez. Hurst later scored on a throwing error putting Cypress up 7-0.

Barnhill hit a one-out single in the fifth inning and later scored on a Kaupang sacrifice fly for the Chargers eighth run. Both RBI by Kaupang on sacrifice flys were the only earned runs allowed in the first five innings.

The Dons answered in the bottom of the fifth inning when Stephen Gonzalez reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on the throwing error. Gonzalez' single was the Dons first hit of the game. He scored two batters later when Efrain Mendoza singled to centerfield.

SAC's offense came alive in the sixth inning when Cory Goodchild led the inning off with a single through the middle of the infield. After the Dons first out, Matt Hart and Chris Miller hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.

Goodchild later scored on a wild pitch and Jake Eccles drew a walk to reload the bases. Stephen Gonzalez quickly cut the Chargers lead to 8-6 when he hit a grand slam home run to left field. Gonzalez accounted for five of the Dons first six runs.

Cypress extended its lead in the eighth inning when Hurst led the inning off with a walk and was replaced by Tyler Brady. After the Chargers first out, Parker Berberet doubled to score Brady. David Silvas followed with a RBI-double of his own, scoring Berberet. Silvas later scored on a RBI-single by Eisenberg to put Cypress up 11-6.

The Dons scored twice in the bottom of the eighth with Hart scoring on an Eccles RBI-ground out and Miller scoring on a Gonzalez RBI-ground out to cut the lead to 11-8.

After Brendan Hall pitched a perfect ninth inning, the Dons made a final push. SAC quickly fell down two outs with one runner on before Marcus Piazzisi singled allowing Brian Boles to reach third.

Boles scored in the next at-bat when Hart singled followed by a RBI-single by Miller scoring Piazzisi to bring the Dons within one. Unfortunately it was too little too late as Eccles popped out down the left field line for the final out.

Branden Pinder suffered the loss as he gave up seven runs, one earned, on five hits in three and one third innings pitched. He had one walk, one strikeout and hit two batters in the outing.

Next: Santa Ana at Fullerton, Tuesday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m.