Three hours on a bus. A fired-up home crowd. The weight of playoff expectations. For most teams, that’s a lot to walk into. But the Acalanes Dons? They didn’t flinch. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t just show up—they showed out.  ALL IN!      On Tuesday night at Chico High School, the Dons delivered a performance that erased any doubt about who they are and what they’re chasing. With a veteran-level presence and playoff poise, Acalanes unleashed a five-inning clinic of clean baseball, explosive offense, and mental toughness, turning a tense start into a big 9–3 victory in the CIF NorCal Division II quarterfinals.

No Pity for the Kitty

 

From the first pitch, Acalanes played like a team with a purpose. Chico came out trying in the bottom of the first, putting runners on first and second with one out, looking to strike early and energize their home crowd. But Acalanes pitcher Branson Smith wasn’t having it.   With ice in his veins and complete control of the moment, Smith initiated a pickoff play that caught the runner at second leaning, with James Stadt applying a quick tag for the out. On the very next pitch, Smith turned and fired to first—bang, another runner erased. Just like that, three outs, no damage, and a stunned Chico bleachers went quiet. 

The Dons Didn’t Come to Tiptoe through the Jungle, They Came to Silence the Roar and Cage the Panthers. 

Offensively, the Dons broke through in the third inning. After two quick outs, Ando Butner stayed locked in and lined a single into center. James Stadt followed with a scorched double into right, easily scoring Butner and giving the Dons a 1–0 lead. A small number on the scoreboard, but all you need is just one.

And then came the fifth inning, cue the chaos,  Dons dugout loud and bases on fire.  It started modestly: a leadoff walk from Dom Patitucci. Then Butner, down 1–2 in the count, turned on a pitch and launched it over the left field fence. No-doubter!  His fourth home run of the season. The dugout exploded.  Acalanes led 3–0.  And it continues…What followed was nothing short of a playoff avalanche:

• Stadt added another base hit.

• Goddard was hit by a pitch.

• Gonzales worked a disciplined walk to load the bases.

• Winkles punched an RBI single into right.

• Asadorian followed with a scorched double down the left field line, plating two more.

• Pecci took one for the team—literally—with another hit-by-pitch.

• Patitucci sent a ball into play that turned into two runs after a Chico defensive miscue.

• Michlitsch finished the frame with a sac fly to center.

Eight runs. One inning. Complete control. Dons 9, Panthers 0.

On the mound, Smith kept dealing. He went five strong innings, giving up five hits and 2 unearned runs, while striking out seven, including a clean sweep of Chico’s dangerous cleanup hitter, who walked back to the dugout twice due to strikeouts. Behind Smith, the Dons’ defense played flawless, mistake-free baseball, locking down every opportunity and looking every bit like a team built for a deep postseason run. Defense wins games! (I think that is a football saying, but it works in baseball too, 100%!).  Jake Colaco pitched the sixth inning and went three up three down to end his Dons career.  

Fellow Senior Hank Bauer came in to pitch the last inning, giving up one run, closing the door and sending the Dons into the semifinal round with a full head of steam. Final Score: Acalanes 9, Chico 3.  The Dons didn’t just handle it—they thrived in it.

Next Up: Dons on the CIF Road to Play the St. Francis Lancers

A semifinal clash on the road Thursday against Saint Francis of Mountain View, who come in at 21–10 and ranked #53 in California.    The Dons? Sitting at #45 in the state on paper.   But in June, paper doesn’t play the game. Rankings don’t win championships. Grit, talent, execution—that’s what matters. And the Dons just proved they have all three.  ALL IN!