The El Camino College baseball team came out fast and early in Game 2 of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals, but it was not enough to face down the defending champions who rallied to topple the Warriors in a season-ending loss.
The Saturday, May 4, game at Santa Ana College’s Don Sneddon Field was crucial in determining whether the Warriors could force a Game 3 and keep their playoff hopes alive.
However, the task was too much for El Camino to handle as the Dons, operating like a well-oiled machine, heated up their bats, swung into action and swept the Warriors 17-7.
“They’re the defending state champion for a reason…they’ve got a good team,” Warriors coach Grant Palmer said. “It came down to us just not being able to stop the bleeding early in that game.”
Palmer attributed the loss to the Warriors’ pitching not being up to keep the Dons off the scoreboard as Santa Ana put up its most runs in a game against El Camino this season.
“We just couldn’t string together some zeros, which hurt us in the long run,” he said. “Our guys showed some fight, but [Santa Ana] got the better of us this weekend.”
The Warriors broke open the game with the first tally on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. Left fielder Ryan Matsukawa scored off an error and shortstop Connor Meidroth scored off a single by first baseman Joey Replogle, bringing the score to 2-0.
Santa Ana clapped back with two home runs to take the lead. Dons first baseman Michael Rocha sent one to left-center followed by catcher Connor Dietsch hitting the same spot bringing in designated hitter Kian Sanchez.
The Warriors battled back, cutting the gap to 7-6 after a four-run fourth inning. However, the Dons responded decisively, scoring five runs in the fifth.
The atmosphere shifted dramatically as the Warriors struggled to contain the damage, allowing the Dons to score in nearly every inning except the seventh.
Santa Ana’s left fielder Jake Long was confident going into Game 2, knowing the Dons had a solid plan and no reason to panic. However, when El Camino scored first, he understood that the team would need to step up its game and shove back.
“We’ve had games in the past where we’ve struggled with coming back,” Long said. “It’s playoffs, we can’t let that slide. We put our heads down, worked hard and put up some quality [at-bats] to put together some runs.”
El Camino’s pitching struggled to hold the Dons’ overwhelming tide as starter A.J. Heistand gave up seven runs in only three innings pitched, allowing six runs. The Warriors’ relief also floundered with Aaron Ragat and Jake Stolnak ceding another 10 runs and 13 hits to the Dons.
However, the Dons did not fare any better as they combined for a near-full showing of their bullpen, scrambling through six pitchers to hold the El Camino offense down to only nine hits and seven runs.
Santa Ana coach Tom Nilles told his team to take the Warriors’ offense seriously. He made it clear that even a moment of complacency could cost the Dons, underscoring the need for complete focus against a team known for its strong batting lineup.
“Even though we’ve played these guys twice and we play into their offense fairly well, no one’s going to lay out, roll over and just let you beat them,” Nilles said. “You know, just expect a dogfight, come out prepared and make sure that [we’re] ready to go compete for nine innings.”
Nilles pushed his team to stay mentally tough against the Warriors’ offense. He encouraged resilience and discipline, reminding them to remain composed even when facing pressure. By keeping their focus and not letting setbacks derail them, Nilles hoped his players would maintain the resolve needed for the win.
“When things are going good, it’s easy,” Nilles said. “But when things start going bad for you, it makes life a little bit tougher… you got to see what you’re made of and be mentally tough and prepared.”
The Dons (30-11-1) advance to the 3C2A Super Regionals, where they will compete in double-elimination games against Golden West College and Santa Barbara City College from May 9 to 11.
The Warriors finish their 2024 season with an overall record of 21-21.
“I told the guys… the biggest thing that I’m looking forward to seeing if we can do is, can we come together as a team,” Palmer said. “Especially during this day and age, it’s a difficult thing, sometimes, and we did that. We could have easily [rolled over] when our backs were against the wall a month ago, and we didn’t, we stayed in it, got ourselves into the playoffs, a chance to go on a run… I’m proud of them for that.”
