The Varsity Baseball team beat the College Park Falcons 4-3 in 9 innings on Tuesday before a raucous crowd, under Acalanes blue skies! It pushed their League record to 3-0 and their overall season tally to 17-0. It was the 19th consecutive win for this impressive Division 1 program.
The Dons withstood their first significant headwinds of the season against a motivated College Park squad that got off to a 3-0 lead after 5 innings. The Falcons scoring started in the top of the 2nd inning with a couple of singles and a stolen base. They grabbed a quick run before a deep fly ball was hit over left fielder Everett Glasses head. He tracked it down at the fence and threw a perfect cut off throw to shortstop James Stadt. Stadt rifled a one hop seed to catcher Benji O’Rourke to nail the runner at home! The play would turn out to be critical as the game advanced, for it saved a precious run that proved to be instrumental in this extra inning victory.
Acalanes found themselves down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning. A talented Falcon hurler had the boys tied up for most of the game. He cruised through the first 5 frames and appeared to have the contest under control, but the determined Dons had other plans. Second baseman Mason Zirkel led off the inning. Mason was on base all day. He went 2-2, including 2 perfect bunts, scored a run and had 2 walks. He quickly went down 0-2 before coaxing a leadoff walk to start the 6th inning.
After an out Zirkel advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Centerfielder Keegan Goddard proceeded to boom an RBI double over the left fielder’s head to score Mason and get the boys on the board. Right fielder David Gonzales then walked before Benji O’Rourke reached on an error to load the bases. DH Ando Butner came up and got his second hit of the day with a single to knock in Goddard and Gonzalez and tie the ballgame at 3-3!
College Park loaded the bases in the top of the 7th with one out. Fortunately pitcher Branson Smith was able to induce a ground ball to short that was turned into an inning ending double play by the DP Firm of Stadt, Zirkel and Bailey! Crisis averted.
The game continued to go back and forth until the bottom of the 9th inning. James Stadt led off with a walk. Mason Zirkel singled with a bunt and advanced to 2nd on a throwing error. After an out Keegan Goddard was intentionally walked to load the bases. David Gonzales then walked to plate Stadt and start another wild celebration! Dons 4 Falcons 3!
Peter Thorn started on the mound for the boys in blue. He made his 10th appearance of the year. Peter pitched the first 2 innings and gave up 3 runs. Thorn has pitched a lot of big innings during the win streak.
Branson “B Easy” Smith came in to face College Park hitters in the top of the 3rd. He ended up throwing an impressive 74 pitch, 7 inning gem to steady the ship and give the Acalanes bats a chance to come alive. He scatted 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out 4. He worked fast, he worked easy and he let his skilled defenders make plays behind him. It was another great outing for Branson.
The boys in blue did it again. The Dons Magic has been special. The squad travels to Pleasant Hill today to play the Falcons at their place for the 2nd game of this 2 games series at 4pm. Make the trip! Go Dons!
