Owls Blow Late Lead

Glendora, CA -- After building up a big 7-0 cushion in the bottom of the first inning, the Citrus College Baseball team saw visiting West LA slowly chip away at it, until they blew it late. Citrus gave up three runs in the top of the ninth inning and fell for the second straight game, 10-9.

Things looked good for the Owls from the outset, with those seven runs in the first inning. Freshman Jason De La Pena drove in the game's first score with a groundout to short. Sophomore Warren Fishback followed that up with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Fishback's RBI preceeded four straight walks issued to the Owls, three of which ended up in RBI's for freshmen Mathew Reynoso, Nathan Virgen, and Rodnee Little. Sophomore Blake James rounded out the first inning scoring with a two RBI double that gave the Owls that 7-0 advantage.

West LA got on the board in the top of the third inning, but the Owls answered back in the bottom half of the inning when Virgen scored on a wild pitch to push Citrus' lead back to seven at 8-1. The Wildcats kept it going in the fourth though, while Citrus' offense slowed to a drip.

West LA scored four more in the top of the fourth, and two more in the sixth, cutting their lead down to two runs 7-9 with three innings to go.  James would drive in another run for the Owls in the bottom of the fifth, but that was it for the remainder of the contest.

The Wildcats continued to put the screws to the Owls applying pressure on the base paths and pounding the Owls' pitching late. West LA scored those fateful three runs in the top of the ninth to take their first lead of the game 10-9. In the bottom of the ninth, Citrus went away quietly as they were popped up, and then drew a walk giving Citrus some hope, until the game ended in the next at bat in a double play.

With the loss, Citrus falls to 8-5 on the year and 2-2 in WSC South play. The Owls will try and get some momentum back on their side starting on Tuesday when they host Bakersfield College for a 2:00 PM start time.