April 25, 2009 - Boxscore
Dons Survive Late Rally to Defeat Saddleback 12-11

SANTA ANA, CA - The Santa Ana College (SAC) baseball team defeated visiting Saddleback College 12-11 in an Orange Empire Conference game. The win improves the Dons to 30-10 on the season and 15-6 in conference play while Saddleback drops to 24-17 overall and 12-9 in conference.

The Gauchos opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning without recording a hit. Jeff Montenegro reached first when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a ground out. After stealing third base on a double steal, Montenegro scored on a wild pitch.

The Dons answered in the bottom of the first with three innings. Marcus Piazzisi led the inning off with a walk and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt. After Matt Hart reached on a walk both runners advanced on a wild pitch.

Derek Eligio plated the first run with a ground out. scoring Piazzisi. James Davis reached after being hit by a pitch and Chris Miller hit a RBI-single scoring Hart. Jake Eccles hit a RBI-single scoring Miller and putting the Dons up 3-1.

The Dons extended their lead in the third inning as they batted around the order. Hart led the inning off with a single through the middle followed by a single through the right side by Eligio.

James Davis reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases and Miller followed with a two-run single scoring Hart and Eligio. Eccles followed with a three-run home run putting the Dons up 8-1.

Piazzisi put the Dons up 9-1 in the fifth inning when he hit a sacrifice fly scoring Julian Duran who reached on a single. Stephen Gonzalez extended the Dons lead to 11-1 in the sixth with a two-run home run scoring Miller who reached on a double.

The Gauchos cut into the Dons lead in the top of the seventh inning when Cole Mitro hit a pinch-hit home run followed later in the inning by a ground out. by Brett Vertigan scoring Darren Coombs to make the score 11-3.

The Dons scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when Cory Goodchild led the frame off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Eligio putting the Dons up 12-3.

Mitro pulled the Gauchos closer with his second home run of the game in the eighth inning, a two-run shot scoring Dalton Sype who reached on an error to lead the inning off.

With the Dons holding on to a 12-5 lead, the Gauchos mounted a rally in the ninth inning. Dylan Tortarolo started the rally when he reached first after being hit by a pitch with one out.

Sype followed with a walk and Trevor Whyte was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mitro plated the first run when reached on an error scoring Tortarolo. Kelvin Mota then hit a single through the left side scoring Sype.

Coombs cut the lead to 12-9 when he hit a two-run single scoring Whyte and Mitro. Chris Mata plated Mota and Coombs with a single up the middle of the infield to pull Saddleback within one at 12-11.

Brian Peacock, who entered the game to face Mata, got the final two outs of the game to preserve the Dons victory while picking up his first save of the season.

Christian Meza improved to 10-0 on the season as he pitched seven innings allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts.

Next: Fullerton at Santa Ana, Tuesday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m.