Late Surge By Owls Propels Win Against Ventura

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Baseball team scored three runs in their final three innings to propel themselves to a 4-2 win over visiting Ventura College on Tuesday afternoon. The Owls got a pair of solid performances on the mound from sophomores Nicholas Sergi and Marcos Martinez, overcoming an early 2-1 deficit.

Citrus would score the game's first run of the day, when a hard hit ball to center field by sophomore Shawn Sweeney drove in a tagging up freshman Raymond Fierro III in the bottom of the third. Ventura would rally with a single run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, but the Owls answered nearly right away with two scores in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead.

Fierro would tie the game up thanks to his drawing of a bases loaded walk. On the very next at bat, sophomore Aaron Torres would drive in the second run, with a fielder's choice RBI that scored freshman Ryan Aguilar.  The Owls would give themselves even more cushion in the bottom of the seventh via another fielder's choice RBI, when freshman Jeremyn "J.P." Hopkins flicked the ball to the right side of the field, scoring sophomore Taylor Grace from third.

That would be all the offense Citrus needed as Sergi and Martinez combined to give up just eight hits and one walk. Sergi (2-0) went seven strong, scattering six hits, and the lone issued walk of the day, against, two runs and three strikeouts. Martinez meanwhile picked up his first save of the season, giving two hits, no runs, and striking out one in his two innings of work.

At the plate, it was Aguilar and freshman Jonathan Ayala who accounted for four of Citrus' six hits on the day. Aguilar finished 2 for 4, while Ayala was 2 for 3.

With the win, Citrus improves to 5-3 on the season. The Owls will be back at home again on Thursday when they host Oxnard College at 2:00 PM.