Dons open up baseball playoffs with wild card win over Pasadena

Gabe Grandcolas kept pitching out of jams and his offense finally got some big hits in the fifth inning as Santa Barbara defeated Pasadena 5-1 in a CIF Division II Wild-Card game.

Grandcolas escaped trouble in the first, third and fifth innings without allowing a run as he pitched a complete game. He allowed seven hits but did not walk a batter as he improved to 6-2 on the year.

The Dons scored three runs in the fifth inning, the first one scoring after Pasadena misplayed a single to center by Connor McManigal. Johnny Brontsema, who made several sparkling plays at shortstop, knocked in McManigal with a single to leftto make it 2-0. Jeff Paschke doubled in Brontsema to finish the scoring in the fifth. Paschke doubled in two more runs in the sixth inning.

The Dons play at Redlands High School on Friday.