Blanked

Glendora, CA -- For the first time this year, the Citrus College Baseball team was blanked. The Owls managed just five hits, and committed three errors as they fell to visiting and #20 ranked Chaffey College 7-0 on Friday afternoon.

Things started off well enough for the Owls with freshman starting pitcher Ryan Ponder setting down the Panthers batters in order in the top of the first inning. That momentum carried into the bottom of the inning when the Owls put runners on first and second with no one out. That evaporated quickly though, as the third batter in the inning popped up a bunt that wound up being the first part of a triple play that got Chaffey out of the jam.

Ponder continued to mow down the opposing batters by setting down the four, five, and six hitters in the top of the second, and again the Citrus offense would put a pair of base runners on the bags in the bottom of the inning. Again though those runners just got stranded, and in the top of the third things began to come apart.

In the top of the third, Chaffey put three runs on the board, all unearned, as Citrus committed two errors in the inning. The Owls would load the bases up no outs in the bottom of the inning, but as happened in the first two innings nothing came of it as went pop up, strike out and ground out to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Chaffey kept things going for themselves. The Panthers added four more runs in the inning, three of them earned as they ran out to a commanding 7-0 lead. Citrus would continue to put runners on the bases in every inning except for the ninth, and every time a batter made it on base, they get left there as the Owls stranded nine total runners on the day.

The lone highlight for Citrus at the plate was freshman Joshua Page who went 2 for 4. Ponder spent seven innings on the hill for the Owls, scattering three hits and three walks. Freshman Matthew Page pitched two strong innings of relief for Citrus, allowing just one base runner when he hit a player in the eight.

With the loss, Citrus falls to 3-3 on the year. The Owls will be back at home tomorrow afternoon when they take on Oxnard College. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.