Clay ArrittThe Santa Ana Dons hosted the Cypress Chargers in game one of a three-game conference series, losing 15-4 on Tuesday afternoon. This snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Dons.
“We know we’re still a great team,” said outfielder Nathaniel Williams. “That’s only our third loss of the season. We got eight more games, and we know how to bounce back.”
The game started on a rough note for Santa Ana, when Cypress designated-hitter Gavin Johnson belted a home run over the right field fence against Santa Ana’s starting pitcher, sophomore Joshua Rodriguez, in the top of the second inning to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.
The Dons were able to respond in the bottom of the third inning, when Williams was able to go the other way for a two-run homer to make it 2-1.
“I was sitting fastball, he walked me the first at-bat,” said Williams. “He wanted to keep attacking me and see if I could catch up to his fastball. I just took it the other way and got my hands out.”
Santa Ana added one more in the bottom of the fourth inning when freshman center-fielder Evan Reiter drove in a run with a single back up the middle to make it 3-1.
Rodriguez was rolling on the mound with four straight 1-2-3 innings before the top of the sixth came around. That’s when he ran into problems with his command, walking four batters and hitting another before being relieved by sophomore Mathew Solorzano with the bases loaded and the game tied 3-3. The four walks in the inning matched Rodriguez’ total for the whole season.
“I just didn’t have my stuff,” Rodriguez said about that sixth inning. “I just lost focus a little bit. It was more about execution. They’re a good team, but I had them.”
Solorzano allowed a two-run double to give Cypress a 5-3 lead before walking another batter to load the bases yet again.
He was then able to induce a double play ball to shortstop Jack Mueller, who, uncharacteristically, was not able to make the play, resulting in an error and three more runs on the board.
It ended up being a seven-run inning for the Chargers with only one hit.
“We gave up seven free runners in one inning. We really haven’t been doing that,” said head coach Tom Nilles. “We just had to make some plays. Maybe they’re at six instead of eight, and that allows our offense to stay engaged and keep the pressure on them.”
The Chargers kept the bats alive against Santa Ana’s bullpen, scoring a run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and three in the ninth.
Reiter hit a home run to dead center in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Dons, and it would end up being a 15-4 loss for Santa Ana.
The two teams will meet again on Thursday at Cypress at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale on Friday at 1 p.m. at Don Sneddon Field.
“This is an opportunity for us to regroup, catch your breath and play the style of baseball that we can,” said Coach Nilles after the game, with all the confidence in the world in his guys.
The Dons still hold a two-game lead in the Orange Empire Conference and an impressive 28-3-1 record.
