The Acalanes Softball team traveled on Saturday to Alameda to play in a rare Saturday morning game against the Encinal Jets, who were ranked #1 in NCS division 3.  The Dons faced the Jets last year in the NCS playoffs and lost a nail biter, so revenge was on everyones mind against this fundamentally sound team with exceptionally strong hitters.  

The Dons snatched the lead late in the game in their 6-4 victory over the Jets.  The game was tied at four in the top of the seventh when Santana Tamayo singled, scoring two runs to give the Dons a fantastic comeback win despite trailing 4-0 going into the 6th inning.  

Early in the game it was not looking good for the Dons, as only one batter got on base through the first 3 innings.    Meanwhile the Jets were able to put one run on the board in the bottom of the second, two more in the third and one more run in the fourth inning to take what looked like a commanding 4 run lead.   

Starting for the Dons on the mound was Maya Shoenhair battled to keep the Dons in the game.  And then Lana Cerejo came in to pitch in the 5th inning and tossed three innings of zero-run ball in relief for the win.  Cerejo surrendered just four hits, with no walks and 2 strikeouts.

Just like the previous game, these Dons would not give up a battled back.  In the top of the 6th inning, the bats finally got going.  Lauren Foster got things going with a single, followed by a single from Emme Young.  Following one out, Esa Orman scorched a line drive to left that knocked off the left fielder’s glove and scored the first two runs of the game for the Dons to make it 4-2.  Now with two outs, Gabby Huerta came up to the plate and smashed a long fly ball down the left field line for a double to drive in Orman to make it 4-3.   Shoenhair then singled on a line drive just over the leaping shortstop to tie the game 4-4.   

In the bottom of the 6th, Cerejo had to face the top of the order for the dangerous Jets.   After getting the first out on a heads up play from Tamayo getting the advancing runner, Cerejo induced a fly ball to right for outs number 2 and 3.   

Up come the now on fire Dons.   Ella Greenfield got things going with an HBP.  Foster then got her second hit of the game with a line drive to left to put two runners on the basepaths.  With one out, Vanessa Choi came up and battled for an epic 12 pitch at bat.  While Choi did not get the runs in, she exhausted the pitcher to set up the next two hitters.  Orman hit a ground ball to third and hustled down to first and load the bases for cleanup hitter Tamayo, who then smoked a ball to left to score 2 runs and finally put the Dons up 6-4.  

Things got a bit interesting and stressful in the bottom of the seventh as the tying run got on base, but Cerejo was able to get a strikeout and get an easy ground ball to second for the final out and a thrilling 6-4 comeback win.