Welcome to Dons Playoff Baseball, read the GameChanger welcome message. The message continued… giving the weather update: Saturday in Moraga—sunny skies, 59 degrees, real feel of 68. No video highlights? What?! NCS forbids any videotaping of the game. Tragic. Because this was the kind of game that deserved its own ESPN 30 for 30.
Things That Come in Tens:
Ten runs. What else comes in tens? Well, how about ten pins in a bowling strike, ten dimes in a dollar, or ten out of ten on a quiz? There’s also the perfect ten in gymnastics, ten fingers to count them on, or ten toes tapping after a Saturday win. Ten is tidy, complete, and in this case, totally thrilling, because it’s the number that sent the Dons sailing into the NCS semifinals with a mercy-rule win that left fans grinning and Campo spinning.
First Inning Fireworks
Let’s talk about that first inning. Actually, let’s shout it from the rooftops. Ando Butner walks, James Stadt singles, Keegan Goddard rips a double, Ando scores. That’s 1. A couple more walks later, it’s 2. Then Tyler Winkles smacks a double to center. That’s 4 runs with no outs. Pecci loads the bases again, and Drew Asadorian drives in Cusumano. By the time Campo found the third out, they’d given up six.
Six. In the first.
Second Inning Déjà BOOM
Campo tried a new pitcher. The new Cougar on the mound gave walks to Keegs and Gonzo, a passed ball scores Keegs (again!), Winkles walks, and then Jasper Stewart says, “Let me have a word… with my bat.” Boom! Two more runs. Dons = 9-0.
Fifth Inning: Wrap It with a Bow
Asadorian leads off, wheels spinning, somehow ends up at third (again, no video, but imagine a gazelle in cleats). Keegs singles, Drew scores. Dons 10.
-
Winkles & Goddard each had 2 RBIs
-
Goddard? Acalanes hit leader, 2-for-3
-
Gonzales? Master of patience with 3 walks
-
Team? Eight walks total, four bases stolen
Cougars Caged: Dons Defense Brings the Lockdown
Branson (B Ice, B Steady, B$) Smith took the mound and wasted no time showing he was in control. Cool, focused, and efficient, he didn’t need a pile of pitches to make a statement. throwing earlier in the week, Smith worked within the high school pitch count limit and made every throw matter. Two innings, zero hits, zero walks, four strikeouts. That’s how you set the tone in playoff baseball.
Austin McManamon picked up where Smith left off, cruising through the next two innings and keeping Campo stuck in neutral. McManamon does what he does best: controls it. And then came Brady Quinn, locking it down in the fifth with a flawless three-up, three-down, game over.
Campo only made it to second once. That’s it. The Dons’ defense didn’t bend, didn’t blink, just clean plays, hard throws, and no room for mistakes. They shut the door and kept it shut. Even David “Gonzo” Gonzales got some action in right field, gunning down runners (Yup! no video. Bummer!) at first with laser throws because when the Dons are firing on all cylinders, nobody’s safe.
Next Stop: NCS Semifinals
First it was Ukiah, blanked 3-0. Then came Campo, caged, 10-0. If there’s a message being sent this postseason, it’s loud and clear: you don’t run wild on the Dons. Not in Moraga. Not in May. Not in the playoffs.
Now, the Dons head north to Santa Rosa this Wednesday to face Cardinal Newman in the NCS Semifinals. With confidence riding high and the whole team ALL IN. The Dons are ready to take the next step—and they’re coming to win. Say it again…ALL IN!