SANTA ANA - The Dons closed out non-conference action today with a 10-7 over El Camino College. The win sends the Dons into Orange Empire Conference competition with a 9-3-1 record.
The Dons jumped out on the Warriors (8-4) early with seven runs in the first two innings, including a five-run second inning. Alex Mascarenas singled in Cameron Baranek for the first run before Frankie Nogales plated Mascarenas on a fielder's choice.
The big second inning was started with a double by Patrick Cromwell before Baranek hit his second double of the game to score Cromwell. Tanner Negrette followed with another double, to score Baranek, before Nestor Linares singled in Negrette. Troy Baird capped off the inning with a two-run single to left field to put SAC up 7-0.
But El Camino would start chipping away at the Dons lead with six runs over the third, fourth and fifth innings. A pair of runs came across in the third inning before the Warriors pulled within two runs at 7-5 with a three-run fourth.
The rally continued in the fifth inning with Jake Sahagian scoring Jonathan Pasillas on a RBI-groundout to make the score 7-6. The Dons would get one run back in the bottom of the fith when Colin Winn singled in Baird, who led the inning off with a double.
El Camino would make it a one-run game again in the seventh when Sahagian singled in Pasillas for the second time in the game, making the score 8-7.
But a combination of two runs by SAC in the eighth inning and A.J. Franks on the mound put the game away for the Dons. After Franks retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, Baranek and Negrette hit back-to-back singles to score a pair of runs and put the Dons up 10-8.
El Camino would get the leadoff batter on base in the top of the ninth, but Franks started a 1-6-3 double play before getting a groundout to third to end the game and pick up his third save of the season.
Daniel Ferrell (2-0) got the win for the Dons as he pitched three innings in relief while holding El Camino to just one run on three hits. Chris Alcala (3-1) took the loss for the Warriors as he allowed seven runs on seven hits in just 1.2 innings of work.
