Dons pitchers show up to get 12th straight win

SAC pitchers Hauze Fragoso and CJ Brown gave up one run in the first inning then shut out Glendale for eight straight innings to secure the win for the Dons by a score of 3-1.

Fragoso got the start, giving up only two hits through his 4.1 innings pitched.

“Those pitchers won us the game,” said Head Coach Tom Nilles. “They went out there and executed, setting us up for success.”

Brown came in to relieve Fragoso and shut out Glendale for 4.2 innings despite the defense making three errors in the field.

The Dons didn’t score until the fifth inning when they put three well-hit balls into play. Catcher Abel Castrejon hit a leadoff double down the right-field line to start the inning. He was then followed by center fielder Jimmy De Anda and shortstop Christian Altamirano who both hit deep sacrifice-fly balls to the outfield, scoring Castrejon.

With the game tied at 1-1, third baseman Mathew Dobson smashed a solo home run over the left field wall putting the Dons up 2-1.

Thomas Williams scores to put the Dons up 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning. KaliRaah Visuals / El Don

“I missed a couple of pitches early,” said Dobson. “Had two strikes, stuck to my approach and he hung a slider. I hit it hard and ended up putting it out.”

After Dobson got the momentum going, second baseman Thomas Williams hit a single between Vaqueros’ first and second baseman. Williams proceeds to steal second and third on great jumps, showcasing his speed.

Looking for insurance runs, designated hitter Brady Schrank hit a ground ball to the second baseman scoring Williams.

Back on defense, CJ Brown came up clutch in multiple innings to hold the Vaqueros to their early one run. Glendale left 10 runners on base in the last five innings, all due to Brown dealing on the mound.

Freshman Brady Schrank battling at the plate KaliRaah Visuals / El Don

“Got myself in some pretty sticky situations,” said Brown. “But my biggest thing was just keep throwing strikes and keep my ball moving.”

With the victory, the Dons extend their winning streak to 12. The young team is building much-needed confidence heading into conference play starting on March 5 at home against Cypress.