Bats get hot as Dons roll past Bobcats

Santa Ana College closed out its series against Saddleback College with an emphatic 13-4 win on Saturday afternoon. This ended a five-game skid for the Dons, in which they previously lost three against the top-ranked Cypress and dropped the first two games against Saddleback.

“It feels good to get this win,” said designated hitter Garret Allen. “I knew we were gonna snap out of it before the playoffs. The whole team saw the ball well and we just had a good approach today.”

Garret was a powerhouse offensively with two hits, two walks and five RBIs. His bases-clearing three-run double broke the game open for the Dons in the fifth inning.

Freshman Garret Allen has 20 runs in 26 games. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

The Bobcats were stifled by the Dons’ pitching tandem of Andrew Parker and Spencer Johnson. The duo held Saddleback to one run over seven innings of work, three from Parker and four from Johnson.

“It was kind of planned for me to go three innings just to start it,” said Parker. “But then Spencer coming in was pretty big time. I mean, the kid’s been a dawg all year, so that was nothing new.”

Andrew Parker has a 5-3 record on the year, while Spencer Johnson is 6-0. Photos by Brandon Rowley / el Don

The bats were on fire for the Dons, with seven players tallying a hit and five putting up multi-hit performances, including first baseman Kian Sanchez.

“I worked hard at practice all week, and just felt good to have some balls find grass,” said Sanchez. “On Thursday, we had a lot of balls hit hard, but we hit right at them. Today they just went our way.”

Freshman Nathaniel Williams continued his five-game hit streak with three hits and three RBIs, while also raising his batting average to .356, the fourth highest on the team.

“I’ve just been seeing the ball really well for the past couple of weeks,” said Williams. “So it’s been giving me a little bit of confidence in the box.”

Kian Sanchez going into the splits for a putout at first. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

The Dons now carry a 12-6 record in conference going into their final series of the year. They will match up against Riverside College in a three-game series to decide second place in the Orange Empire League.

“Getting the confidence back within the group is paramount for our success,” said Head Coach Tom Nilles. “Three games to go, and if we win two, we’re guaranteed second place. It’s a good test for a young group like this.”