April 16, 2009 - Boxscore
Duran Hits Walk-Off Single to Beat Golden West

SANTA ANA, CA - The Santa Ana College (SAC) baseball team defeated visiting Golden West College 5-4 in 10 innings in an Orange Empire Conference game. The win improves the Dons to 26-10 overall and 11-6 in conference play while Golden West falls to 11-22-2 overall and 3-14 in conference.

The Dons opened scoring in the bottom of the first when Matt Hart hit a one-out infield single and later scored on a RBI-double by Derek Eligio to put SAC up 1-0.

Stephen Gonzalez led the second inning off with a double down the left field line and scored during the next at bat when Kyle Hardman hit a RBI-single to left field. Hardman scored two batters later to put the Dons up 3-0 on a sacrifice fly by TJ Yasuhara.

The Rustlers came back in the third inning to cut the lead to 3-1 when AJ Bayus hit a one-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then scored on a RBI-double by Scott Schauer.

Golden West took its first lead of the game in the seventh inning when Bayus hit a three run home run scoring Alex Rosales who reached on a single and Jordan Tripp who reached on a walk.

The lead didn't last very long as the Dons came back in the bottom half of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. Yasuhara reached base when he was hit by a pitch with one out and later stole second.

Marcus Piazzisi ground out to the first baseman allowing Yasuhara to advance to third before Hart hit a RBI-single through the middle of the infield scoring Yasuhara.

Golden West wasn't able to get a base runner past first base in the ninth and the Dons failed to score Efrain Mendoza who led the ninth inning off with a pinch-hit double.

Nick Perez retired the side in the tenth inning as he came on to pitch in the ninth for starter Nick Capito. He allowed a lead off single but the runner was out in a double play.

Eligio led the bottom of the tenth inning off with a single to right field followed by a bunt single by Jake Eccles, his first hit of the game. Gonzalez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Eligio to third and Eccles to second before Hardman was intentionally walked to load the bases. Julian Duran came through with his first hit of the game, a single up the middle scoring Eligio from third to give the Dons the 5-4 victory.

Perez improved to 3-3 on the season as he pitched the final two innings of the game allowing one hit with one strikeout. Capito didn't factor in the decision after pitching eight innings allowing four runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts.

Dean Fluss (0-2) suffered the loss for the Rustlers as he allowed one run on two hits in relief of Nick Torres who allowed nine hits in eight innings with three strikeouts and four runs. Keith Schwecke surrendered the game-winning hit as he pitched one third of an inning, it was the only hit he allowed.

Next: Santa Ana at Irvine Valley, Saturday, April 18 at 12:00 p.m.