Fullerton second baseman Coen Goeas had a 2-2 count with the bases loaded and two outs. Santa Ana reliever Adrian Villegas punched him out, looking to get out of the seventh inning. Goeas jumped up after seeing the ball in the strike zone, as they missed on extending the Hornets’ scoring opportunity.
In an 11-6 loss to the Dons on Friday, Fullerton had runners in scoring position for six of the nine innings. Instead, the Hornets scored in only three of those innings, which included the two runs in the seventh inning. Center fielder Vinny Hudson drove in Niko Mendez on an RBI single, and shortstop Diego Vazquez followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 6-4.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, Santa Ana separated themselves with three home runs to snuff out any Hornet comeback. After a walk and a double to start the inning, catcher Carlos Morales smashed a three-run homer. The Dons’ crowd was rowdy as the ball left the yard. Santa Ana players jumped out of the dugout, pumping their fists. Morales pointed over at his teammates before rounding first base.
Two batters later, second baseman Aidan Marquez and center fielder Evan Reiter hit back-to-back solo jacks to make it 11-4. The Don’s crowd got louder and more excited as each ball was heading toward the fence. Fullerton fans watched as reliever Hunter Billingsley gave up four of the five earned runs in the inning.
“That’s the number two-ranked team in the South, and they’re really good, and they won our league. We’re facing guys that are experienced, and we have to understand it’s gonna be difficult,” said Head Coach Chad Baum.
In the ninth inning, the Hornets scored two runs on Goeas RBI single to center, and Carlos Barrios’ RBI groundout. Santa Ana reliever Colin Galvin got designated player Mendez to fly out for the final out of the game.
The Dons are now 4-0 against Fullerton this year. The Hornets will look to get off the snide and extend their season in game two tomorrow.
“We just need to win the game. It doesn’t matter if we could get a no-hitter and hit a three-run home run to win,” said Baum. “The bottom line is, we’ve got to clean up some things, and they can hit.”
Santa Ana starting pitcher Josh Rodriguez kept the Hornets off the scoreboard in the first five innings. That included getting out of a fourth-inning jam unscathed. Trailing 4-0, Vazquez and Luke Viola hit back-to-back singles to start the inning off. Rodriguez got left fielder Sean Green on a flyout and Goeas to hit into a double play to end the threat. Rodriguez walked off the mound with a fist pump, while the Don’s fans clapped and yelled.
“I think we were having some pretty good at-bats. I think the first time, too, we all had some tough luck. A little bit of nerves, I think we’re able to settle in, and get back to Hornet baseball,” said Viola.
Some of the people in attendance during the fourth and sixth innings said they needed to score runs. The Hornets would do just that, as they figured out Rodriguez in the sixth. Down 6-0, Vazquez rocketed a triple off the top of the left field fence. Viola crushed a two-run shot into left, cutting the deficit to 6-2.
“Looking for a pitch in the zone to do some damage. I got in a 2-0 count, and I was able to put a good swing on it,” said Viola.
“There are three [Vazquez], four hitters [Viola], they’ve been here three years. That’s what they’re supposed to do. That’s what the three enforce. Hitters do in your lineup, or you expect from them,” said Baum.
That woke up the Hornet dugout as they got rowdy while clapping during each pitch. The Fullerton fanbase kept encouraging each batter that came up to the plate. Santa Ana Head Coach Tom Nilles went to reliever Matthew Solorzano. After giving up a single to Green, Solorzano retired Goeas with a strikeout and Barrios on a flyout.
