Dons topple Monarchs in blowout victory

Coming into the game with a record of 4-5, the Dons needed another victory to get to .500 for the first time this season.

The Monarchs struck first with first baseman Andrew Cuervo homering in the top of the second inning, but after that, the Dons’ pitching was rock solid. Andrew Parker was the starting pitcher for the Dons. He held the Monarchs scoreless for the remainder of the game, only giving up four hits and one walk with four strikeouts on the day.

As the Monarchs offense ran stagnant, the explosive Dons offense scored ten runs to cruise to a 10-1 victory.

Parker had been struggling coming into the game, and SAC Head Coach Tom Nilles was definitely impressed with his performance. “He’d been giving up some home runs and having a couple of big innings at every start, and that was the first [start] he just didn’t have one. He gave up one run and that was it.”

Right-handed hitter Robert Linares (8) crushes a ball for his second hit of the day. Photo by Martin Tadros / el Don

The Dons got the scoring started on their side with four runs in the bottom of the second, with a two RBI single from Nathaniel Williams and a two RBI double from Christian Altimarino.

It was all Dons after that with one run coming in the fifth inning and five runs total in the seventh and eighth.

Connor Dietsch and Ben Melendrez were a big part of getting the offense going. Both players walked three times and together scored four times.

Reliever Spencer Johnson came in during the seventh inning. He was lights out in the two innings he pitched, striking out five of the seven batters he faced and giving up just one hit.

Spencer Johnson (26) coming into relief allowing zero earned runs in his appearance. Photo by Martin Tadros / el Don

Ernie Gonzalez came in for the ninth and didn’t give up any runs as the Dons finished the game with a blowout, scoring ten runs to the Monarchs’ one.

Coach Nilles, however, did stress that there was more that needed to be done. “We got a lot of work to do. We’re not meeting the expectations that we have within the program, we just gotta get to playing better baseball.”

Since then, the Dons have climbed to a 7-6 record, with their next game coming this Thursday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. at home against the Glendale Community College Vaqueros.