Dons Rally from Four Down to Defeat Defending State Champion Palomar 9-4
Annie Dowling highlighted the Dons six-run third inning with a grand slam, sparking the Dons to victory.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 9 | 7 | 1 |
SANTA ANA - The Dons perfect start to the season continued today with a 9-4 victory over the defending state champions, Palomar College. The Dons are now 3-0 after scoring nine unanswered runs to claim the win while Palomar had its record evened to 1-1.
The Comets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning after scoring a run in the second on a RBI-double before Kali Pugh connected on a three-run home run in the third.
But the Dons rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the third, aided by a leadoff error. Paolena Comouche started the rally when she reached on a throwing error before Alyssa Yglesias doubled her in. Yglesias, however, was thrown out when she attempted to stretch the play into a triple.
Emily Whitecavage then doubled before scoring on a Sabrina Perez RBI-double. Keila Tenorio then hit a single before Danielle Hernandez walked two batters later to load the bases. Then, with one swing of the bat, Annie Dowling put the Dons up 6-4 when she hit a grand slam to centerfield.
The Dons extended their lead to 9-4 in the sixth inning with Hernandez leading the frame off with a single before Dowling drew a walk. Natalie Wolf then reached on a fielder's choice with Hernandez and Sarah McAndrew, who was running for Dowling, scoring on an error. Wolf would eventually score on a Comouche sacrifice fly for the game's final run.
Lindsey Esparza (1-0) picked up the win for the Dons as she retired all three batters she faced to end the Comets rally in the third inning. Frances Campoy earned her first save of the season as she held Palomar scoreless over the final four innings while allowing just one hit.
