Owls Stop Three Game Slide With Win Against Pasadena

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Baseball program stopped a three game losing streak and picked up their first win in five tries on Thursday afternoon when they played host to Pasadena City College. The Owls got enough pitching, and finally got some offense in a 7-1 win.

The Owls wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard. Sophomore Mark Segat drove in a pair on a ground ball up the middle of the field to put Citrus up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Pasadena would answer in the top of the third with a single score, but that would be the last run for the Lancers on the day.

The game would stay close until Citrus was finally able to break the game open in the bottom of the seventh. Taking advantage of the second PCC fielding miscue of the day, sophomore Taylor Grace scored from third after a hard ground ball by freshman Jonathan Ayala squeezed through the legs of the Lancer third baseman. In the very next at bat, freshman Jeremyn "J.P." Hopkins laid down a picture perfect squeeze bunt that brought in sophomore Troy Resch. Two more at bats later, sophomore Anthony Virgen drew a bases loaded walk to make it 5-1.

Citrus kept it going in the bottom of the eighth when they scored two more insurance runs. Resch would drive in the game's sixth score with a RBI single to right-center field. Four pitches later, Ayala roped a single to center that scored Resch from second to make it 7-1.

On the hill, it was a combined effort as the Owls used their top four arms to get them all some action before conference play starts on Tuesday. Sophomore Ryan Ponder started the game scattering three hits, a walk, and a run over 2.2 innings. He gave way to sophomore Sean Patton who gave up four hits, but escaped his 2.1 innings of work unscathed. Sophomore Conlan McKenzie was strong in his two innings of work giving up just a hit and a walk without surrendering a run, while sophomore Nicholas Sergi was arguably the most impressive, giving up just one hit, striking out, walking none, and allowing no runs, earning the win for his efforts.

With the win, Citrus improves to 6-6-1 on the year. The Owls will open up WSC South play this coming Tuesday when they host Bakersfield College at 2:00 PM.