SANTA ANA – After giving leads of five and four runs, the Dons picked up an 11-10 victory over Grossmont College on a walk-off single by Patrick Cromwell in the bottom of the ninth inning. The win lifts the Dons to 5-1-1 while Grossmont has its record leveled to 4-4.
The Dons used a five-run first inning while sending all nine batters to the plate. The offensive burst was aided by a fielding error that would have ended the inning. It was Alex Mascarenas who reached on the error before stealing second base.
Nestor Linares then singled in Mascarenas before scoring on Troy Baird's double. Julio Garcia and Frankie Nogales drew walks, with Garcia stealing second in between. Garcia moved to third and Nogales to second on a wild pitch while Baird scored on the play. Garcia and Nogales eventually came around to score when Cromwell reached on an error to cap off the inning.
But Grossmont would use a third inning grand slam by Matt Kirk to cut the Dons lead to just one. The three runners on bases reached on two walks and a single. The Griffins would then take a 6-5 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning on a fielder's choice and a RBI-single.
The Dons answered in the bottom of the fifth inning with their second five-run inning of the game. This time, all five runs came in earned with the Dons getting four hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch. Linares doubled in Mascarenas before Sam Lemmon singled in Linares. That was followed by Nogales singling in Baird before Devan Campos hit a two-run single to score Lemmon and Dillon Fetty.
Grossmont wouldn't concede the win as the Griffins came back with a RBI-infield-single in the sixth before scoring three runs in the seventh to tie the game at 10-10. The three-run rally included an inside-the-park home run and a two-run single.
Finally, in the ninth inning, the Dons ended the game on Cromwell's walk-off single. The game-winning theatrics were set up by a lead-off double by Linares before Baird drew a walk. After a fielder's choice kept Linares from reaching third and the Dons down to their final out, Cromwell hit a single through the right side just past the outstretched arm of the second baseman allowing Baird to score from second base.
A.J. Franks (1-0) got the win as he pitched the final two innings in relief without allowing a run or a hit.
