Baseball: Big Innings Doom Rustlers in Loss to Dons

Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West College baseball dropped the series against Santa Ana with a 12-11 loss after forfeiting their comeback lead Saturday at home. 

Luke Higgins made his fourth start of the season for the Rustlers but was pulled two outs into the first inning after earning five of the six runs scored by Santa Ana. Of the nine batters Higgins faced, he allowed three hits, a walk and struck one man out. 

The bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Rustlers put up eight runs to take the lead over the Dons, 8-6.

Dylan Lina started the scoring with a two-run single that scored Ayden Garcia and Rocco Caballero. 

A call to the bullpen brought out Santa Ana's CJ Brown with zero outs and runners at the corners. Jack Salmon reached second on an error by the right fielder after sending a base hit his way, scoring both Lina and Dylan Kordic. Salmon went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk and two RBI. 

Nathan Beckley pinch hit for Matt Gaunt and drove in a run, followed by another RBI single by DJ McEvers to tie the game at six. 

The Rustlers continued the rally at the top of the order with a ground out by Caballero that scored a run and an RBI double to left field by Garcia.

Jack Smith pitched the bulk of the game, going three and one-thirds innings. Despite hitting two batters, he was able to stop the Dons from scoring runs with a hit and three punch outs. Alex Ramos and Jake Ferretti accounted for the next two innings, giving up three hits and no runs. Ramos walked one batter and punched out two, while Ferretti recorded one strikeout. 

Together, the three relievers silenced Santa Ana's offense. Before a damaging seventh inning, the Rustlers increased their lead over the Dons to 10-6. The two runs were produced by a fifth inning RBI single by catcher Dylan Taguiam and a sixth inning sacrifice fly by Salmon.

Lucas Hines walked three straight batters to begin the seventh inning, forcing the coaching staff to make a call to the bullpen. With no outs on the board and bases loaded, Andrew Stanley entered the game earlier than usual.

A fielder's choice and a wild pitch scored the runners Hines was responsible for, closing Golden West's lead to 10-9. The Dons fed off the momentum of their lineup and scored three more runs off of Stanley to retake their lead 12-10. 

Ryan Leeonardo faced the last five batters before leaving it in the hands of the Rustler offense to send the Dons home with a series loss.

Preston Allen led off the bottom of the ninth with a promising single to center field. Nathan Beckley passed the responsibility onto the next batter with a ground out that advanced Allen into scoring position. 

Alex Talamante pinch hit for Dominic Porter, but lined a ball into the glove of the right fielder for the second out. Caballero sparked a glimpse of hope in the Rustlers dugout after driving in Allen with a single to left field, but was left stranded by Garcia who hit into a fielder's choice to end the game 12-11. 

Stanley earned his first loss of the season, evening his record 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA. 

The Rustlers return to action at Saddleback for game one on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Written by Marissa Lavezzari