24 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, and 15 second.  That is the total elapsed time from when the Dons finished the scrimmage against the Falcons on February 11 and began the rematch game on Wednesday.  It is also roughly the length of time it takes the moon to orbit the earth, a gerbil to gestate, a garden snail to travel 18 miles with no breaks, and me to fold my laundry after it leaves the dryer.  No matter how you want to think about it, the Dons improvement over that short timeframe in all facets of the game has been remarkable.

The Dons offense scored 5 runs on 9 hits in the game after being shut out on 4 hits in the scrimmage.  David Gonzales, Ben Pecci, and David Roux each had 2 hits. David Roux’s hits were clutch, as they both were singles to left field with 2 outs that produced a total of 3 RBIs.

 Brady Quinn, Augie Martinez, and Dominic Patitucci also had hits on the day.  

The Dons pitchers and defense gave up 7 fewer runs and 11 fewer walks in the game than they did in the scrimmage.  Brendan Miles got the start on the mound, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk in 2 innings.  Brady Quinn came in as the middle reliever, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings.  David Gonzales pitched the last 1 2/3 innings giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and no walks.

The Dons were up 5-2 heading into the bottom of the 6th, but then gave up 3 runs in the 6th and were walked off with another run in the 7th on a sacrifice fly to right field.

Despite the outcome, the Dons should be proud of the improvements they have made and the way they competed until the final out.  The team hopes to build on their performance on Tuesday, March 14 at 4pm as they take on the Vacaville Bulldogs on the road.

Get to know the Coaches: Jim’s favorite hobbies are fishing, skiing, and hunting, and Dan’s is golf.