SANTA ANA, Calif. – With two outs and runners on second and third, Grant Askins unloaded on the first pitch he saw, sending it well over the right field fence to give the Dons a 5-4 win over the previously undefeated Chaffey Panthers.
The 6'4, 235-pound freshman from Canyon High was 0-4 with a strikeout before that pitch but came up big when it counted.
After being down for most of the game, Santa Ana exploded for five runs in the ninth inning. Raymond Villanueva started the inning off with a leadoff single and was followed by Copper Hansen and Cage Massey, who both drew walks. The Dons scored their first run of the day on a wild pitch and got another one when James Williams hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-2. Following a ground out and a pitching change, Askins came up and sent everyone home happy with his three run shot.
Nathan Cachu made his fourth appearance with the start and went four innings, allowing five hits and three runs with two strikeouts. Joel Casillas came in and kept the Dons in the game with a scoreless three innings and six strikeouts. And Jacob Ayala earned the win as he entered in the eighth to finish the day.
UP NEXT
The Dons will play game two of their series with the Chaffey Panthers on the road on Tuesday, February 12th at 2:00 p.m.