The Acalanes Dons cruised to an impressive 7-1 win over the Vintage Crushers on Thursday in Napa, showcasing a masterclass in offense, defense, and all-around baseball excellence. From the moment the game began, it was clear the Dons were ready to make a statement. In the first inning, Drew Asadorian crushed a double to center field, sending David Gonzales sprinting home. And just when it seemed like things couldn’t get more exciting, a wild pitch allowed Keegan Goddard, who had advanced to third, to quickly dash home. Just like that, the Dons were up 2-0 before the Crushers even had a chance to settle in.
In the second inning, Ben Pecci—who’s quietly making a name for himself as a dangerous nine-hole hitter—slugged a double to bring in Tyler Winkles, pushing the lead to 3-0. But the Dons weren’t ready to let up. In the fourth inning, the Crushers made a pitching change, but the Dons stayed on the attack. Dom Patitucci scored on a wild pitch, and Winkles crossed the plate on yet another wild pitch. As if that wasn’t enough, Goddard hit a laser to center field for a sacrifice fly, bringing in James Stadt and extending the lead to 6-0. And in the seventh inning, Ando Butner, patiently waiting on third base, was brought home on yet another wild pitch, making it 7-1.
On the mound, Branson Smith was in absolute control. He threw three perfect innings—zero hits, zero runs, and three strikeouts—all while tossing just 35 pitches, with over 80% of them being strikes. If you blinked, you might have missed it—Smith retired the side in order each inning (that’s three up, three down), and not a single Crusher made it to first base while he was on the mound. After Smith, Cody Michlitsch, Tommy Terhar (making his mound debut), and AJ Hastings took over and continued to stifle the Crushers’ offense.
Pecci, the unsung hero of the day, led the Dons’ offense with a 2-for-3 performance and an RBI. Goddard, Asadorian, and Pecci each drove in a run, while the Dons displayed outstanding patience at the plate, drawing a total of 10 walks. Hits came from Stadt, Goddard, Asadorian, Butner, Fosina, Patitucci, and Pecci.
The Dons also wreaked havoc on the base paths, stealing five bases in total. Gonzales and James Stadt were the masterminds, each stealing multiple bags and keeping the Crushers on edge. On defense, Goddard was a rock in center field, making crucial catches to maintain the Dons’ flawless play. With no errors and precise execution throughout, the Dons defense were in total control, leaving the Crushers with little chance to get anything going.
Next week, the Dons hit the road for a matchup against Miramonte in Orinda on Tuesday. Before Spring Break, they’ll travel to Brentwood to take on Liberty. Then, over Spring Break, the Dons will host the Lamorinda Baseball Classic Tournament.