SANTA ANA – The Dons woes continue following a 5-2 loss to Cypress College in an Orange Empire Conference game. The loss drops the Dons to 11-7-1 overall and 2-4 in conference while Cypress improves to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in conference.

The visiting Chargers scored the first run of the game in the second inning after Blake Ronca hit a leadoff double before scoring on a two-out single by Grant Mayeaux.

The Dons would get the equalizing run across in the fourth inning with Alex Mascarenas hitting a two-out single before moving to second on Nestor Linares' single up the middle. Frankie Nogales provided the RBI with his single up the middle that plated Mascarenas.

But Cypress would reclaim the lead for good with three unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning. After a leadoff walk, the Dons recorded the next two outs before Aaron Case reached on an error that allowed John Santospago to score. Jack Flansburg followed with a RBI-double that scored Case before scoring on a RBI-single by Jackson Willeford.

Nogales would get his second RBI of the game in the bottom of the sixth when he scored Linares, who tripled to lead off the inning, on an infield single. However, that would be the final run for the Dons as they managed just one more base runner for the remainder of the game.

The Chargers added their final run in the ninth inning with Brandon Brintz hitting a triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly by D.J. Daniels.

Daniel Pena (0-1) took the loss for the Dons as he allowed one run, unearned, on one hit in 3.1 innings. John Forsythe (3-1) got the win as he held the Dons to two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in six innings of work. Payton Smith (3) pitched the final three innings in relief to earn the save as he kept the Dons from scoring while allowing just one hit.