Dons Offense Struggles in 5-1 Loss to Chaffey

This Connor Braun single broke up Chaffey's no-hit bid in the eighth inning.
This Connor Braun single broke up Chaffey's no-hit bid in the eighth inning.

SANTA ANA - The Dons lost the front end of their home-and-home series with Chaffey College 5-1 in a non-conference game. Both teams now have an overall record of 14-6 as they meet again tomorrow at Chaffey College.

Neither team generated much offense over the first four innings and it wasn't until Chaffey took advantage of three free bases in the fifth inning on two walks and a hit by pitch to get a run across. The Panthers got two hits in the fifth as well, with one of the hits driving in a run before back-to-back sacrifice flies put Chaffey up 3-0.

Two more runs came across for the visiting team in the seventh inning, again aided by two walks and a hit by pitch. The hit by pitch forced the first run across after Chaffey loaded the bases before a bases-loaded walk forced the other run across to put Chaffey on top 5-0.

The Dons had managed just three bases runners to that point on two walks, one in the first inning and one in the third inning, and a hit by pitch in the fourth inning. Chaffey's Jacob Battaglia had a no-hitter going through seven innings until Connor Braun's leadoff single in the eighth ended his bid.

Tommy Anderson added a single in the eighth inning as well before Patrick Cromwell hit a solo home run in the ninth inning for the Dons only run of the game.

Battaglia (2-0) got the win as he allowed just the one run on three hits over eight innings of work while Dalton Rasmussen (2-1) took the loss as he allowed three runs on three hits in four innings.