DUBLIN, CA — March 2, 2026 — The Acalanes Freshman Dons (1–3) put 15 runners on base and left nine stranded Monday afternoon, a theme that ultimately defined a 7–3 loss to the Dublin Gaels.

The Dons came out sharp behind lefty starter Drew Megibow, who worked efficiently through the first three innings. Megibow needed just 35 pitches to navigate the early frames, keeping Dublin off balance with a mix of crafty curves and sneaky fastballs. He finished with three innings pitched, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out one and walking one.

Down 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Tyler Cosso and Luke Fishman smacked back-to-back singles to spark the inning. After two quick outs threatened to stall the rally, Stone Jaquet worked a disciplined walk to load the bases for Jonny Rubin. Rubin came through with a clutch, seeing-eye single to center field that plated two runs and tied the game. Moments later, Jaquet raced home on an in-between dribbler off the bat of Bobby Ruhl, giving the Dons their first lead of the afternoon at 3–2.

The advantage was short-lived. Dublin answered in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single to even the score at 3–3 and then capitalized again in the bottom of the fifth. A fielder’s choice and a bases-loaded walk pushed two more runs across as Dublin continued to apply pressure on the base paths. The Gaels swiped 11 bases on the day, creating constant traffic and forcing the Dons’ defense to stay on its heels.

Centerfielder Jaquet had a solid day at the dish going 1-2 with two walks and a run scored. Second baseman Jackson Cooper stayed hot and contributed one hit.

Cosso came on in relief in the 4th inning and struck out 4 batters in 1 2/3rd innings. Jacob Kubalik closed the game on the mound with a solid performance giving up only 2 hits in 1 1/3rd innings.

The loss drops Acalanes to 1-3 on the young season. The Dons will look to bounce back in the rematch against Dublin on Saturday, March 7 at noon in Lafayette.