SANTA ANA - The Dons opened the 2013 season in impressive fashion with their 8-0 win over Los Angeles Harbor College. The run rule (eight runs in five innings) was called before the Dons even recorded in out in the fifth inning.
It didn't take the Dons (1-0) long to get the offense rolling with Alexandra Perkins drawing a four-pitch walk to leadoff the second inning before scoring the game's first run. After a wild pitch moved Perkins to second, Marissa Ross singled through the left side, scoring Perkins.
Ross would later come in on a RBI-single by Alyssa Yglesias to give the Dons a 2-0 lead over Harbor (0-1). Three more runs came across in the third inning, again started by Perkins.
With the first two batters getting out in order, Perkins doubled on a ball that just hit the left field line before stealing third base. Then, after Ross walked, she drew a throw from Harbor's defense that allowed Perkins to score. Heather Robertson then reached second on an error, scoring Ross, before Genna Main singled in Robertson to put SAC up 5-0.
The Dons used another two-out rally in the fourth inning to score a pair of runs. The first two batters went down on two pitches before Devon Rodriguez reached on a perfectly executed bunt single. Eryn Martinez came in to run for Rodriguez and promptly stole second base before Sabrina Perez doubled her in. Perez came around to score later in the inning on an infield single by Ross.
The game ended three batters into the fifth inning with Natalie Valdez drawing a leadoff walk before advancing to third on Mina Pavao's double to left field. Valdez came in for the game-ending run when Yglesias singled to left field.
On the mound, Rodriguez needed just one run as she controlled the game from the beginning. Despite giving up a leadoff single to start the game, Rodriguez faced the minimum amount of batters through three innings. The only baserunner was thrown out while attempting to steal second base.
Rodriguez continued to cruise in the final two innings as well, allowing just one hit and a walk the rest of the way. When it was all said and done, just one baserunner made it past first base and only three balls left the outfield.
The Dons return to action tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. when they host San Diego Mesa College.
