A strong defense and clutch hitting carried the De Anza baseball team to the role of spoiler in the final home game of the 2001 season. Alex Chavarria singled home Matt Gagliardi in the bottom of the eleventh inning, lifting the Dons to a surprising 6-5 victory over Cañada College.

With the win, De Anza eliminated the Colts from postseason play. The Dons defense turned several key double plays in the game, which was a close battle throughout.

“It was a great JC baseball game … we had nothing to play for but pride,” said Head Coach Scott Hertler. “We showed a lot of character by winning that game.” He added following the game that Cañada, a perennial league power, is a very good team.

Matt Mueller went yard early, hitting his seventh home run of the season to put the Dons up 1-0 after one inning. The score remained 1-0 through the fourth when De Anza’s offense lit a fire and stormed to a 4-0 lead.

A defensive binge in the fifth allowed the recharged Colts offense to tally up the score to 5-4. The Dons answered back with a run in the bottom half, bringing the score to 5-5.

Pitching and defense set the tone for the rest of the game, as the score remained tied through nine innings. Pitcher Kris Mims picked a runner off at first base to end the seventh. A double play and right fielder Justin Mead’s throwout at home plate kept the Dons alive in the tenth inning.

Cañada mounted a serious threat in the eighth by loading the bases, but the De Anza bullpen held the runners frozen. The Colts came striking again in the ninth inning, but Chavarria turned an inning-ending double play.

Neither team scored again until the bottom half of the eleventh, when Chavarria delivered in the clutch with the game winner.

Ivan Rodriguez picked up the win in relief. Mueller and Scott Dierks each had two hits and two RBI’s in the contest.

An 11-3 loss to host San Mateo ended the Dons season Thursday. De Anza finished the year with a respectable 13-12 record in Coast Conference play.