Huntington Beach, Calif. – The baseball gods finally returned the sun and clear blue skies to Southern California for the Rustlers(19-9, 8-5) exciting pitchers' dual against the Santa Ana College Dons (16-12 - 3-10), that ended with a 4-3 win for the home team.
Sophomore SP Brett Mays (W, 4-0) earned his fourth victory of the season going the distance throwing all 9 innings giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and striking out a season high 12 batters.
The Dons got on the score board first with a no doubt about it solo home run from Justin Mellano to take the lead 1-0 in the top of the 3rd inning. The next inning the Dons would extend their lead to 2-0 on an RBI double by Trevor Steinman.
Golden West would respond in the bottom of the 4th inning when Dillon Persinger ( 2 for 2, 2 runs scored, 2BB) doubled to the left center field fence, followed by a Cody Marshall (2 for 3, 1 RBI) singled to left advancing Persinger to third base, Michael Fuchs (0 for 3, 2 RBI's, 1 BB) would then drop in a short fly ball to right field to score Persinger from third base to cut the lead in half 2-1.
The Rustlers would take the lead for good in the bottom of the 5th inning as they took advantage of the Dons two errors and scored 3 runs to pull ahead 4-2. They started with a John Shattles (1 for 3, 1 run scored, 1 BB) double to left center field followed by a ground out that advanced Shattles to third base, Phillip Knapp (1 for 5, 1 RBI) hit a hard ball past the left side of the infield. After a Chris Gilbody (1 for 3, 1 run scored, 1BB) walk, Knapp being picked off at 2nd base, and a Persinger walk, Cody Marshall (2 for 3, 1 RBI) would hammer a single that scored Gilbody and advanced Persinger to third base. Fuchs would follow and reach first on an error by the short stop that would score Persinger to build the lead to 4-2.
The Dons would respond with one run in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 4-3. That wouldn't phase Mays as he held Santa Ana hitless over the last 3 innings and striking out 5 of the last 9 batters.
