Dons Force Game Three with 6-4 Win over Southwestern College

Ryan Aguilar reacts as he ties the game in the sixth inning. Aguilar's run was the first of three the Dons scored in the sixth to take over the lead for good.
Ryan Aguilar reacts as he ties the game in the sixth inning. Aguilar's run was the first of three the Dons scored in the sixth to take over the lead for good.

SANTA ANA - The Dons extended their season at least one more day with their 6-4 win over Southwestern College in game two of the CCCAA Baseball Southern Super Regionals. The victory evens the series at 1-1 and force a winner-take-all game three tomorrow, May 11, at 1:00 p.m. at Santa Ana College.

Southwestern (28-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third inning all coming on Roberto Lucero's double to left field. The bases were loaded following a one-out double by Miguel Solano, a walk and a hit by pitch.

But the Dons would come back and score two runs of their own in the top of the fourth with Garret Brown doubling in Alex Mascarenas before eventually scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Nestor Linares.

The Dons big inning came in the sixth inning and was sparked by Ryan Aguilar who hit a lead-off single before taking second base on a wild pitch. Aguilar then scored the tying run from second base on a wild pitch.

Two more runs would come in despite the Dons having two outs. Linares doubled and then scored on a RBI-single by Troy Baird before Frankie Nogales singled Baird in to put the Dons up 5-3. Aguilar extended the Dons lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh when he singled in Mascarenas.

Southwestern would get one run back in the bottom of the seventh inning when Wyatt Miller hit a pinch-hit single that plated Daniel Macias. But the Dons then turned to A.J. Franks who retired the next eight batters to end the game and send the series to a third game.

Franks (9) got the save with his 2.2 perfect innings of work while James Roll (4-0) picked up the win with two innings of relief. Kevin Ginkel (8-2) took the loss for Southwestern after allowing five runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings of work.