Keeping Alive

Glendora, CA — Though there's still a little over a month left of games to go, and it's never too early to county anyone out, Thursday home contest with College of the Canyons went a long way in keeping the Owls' post-season dreams alive. Citrus went toe to toe with the Cougars and walked away with a much needed victory, defeating the #8 team in Southern California 3-2.

Making his seventh start of the 2015 season, sophomore Sean Patton did what he always does and kept the Owls in the game. Patton went seven and a third, scattering seven hits and four walks in that span, giving up two total runs and striking out eight batters. Unlike in most of his previous starts though, the Owls gave him a little early help to keep him in the mix.

Sophomore Troy Resch put the first run on the board when he hit an RBI triple to right-center field in the bottom of the first plating freshman Rudy Casarez III. Canyons would tie the game up in the top of the fourth, but freshman Michael Carlos continued his hot hitting ways with a double  to left field that scored sophomore Mark Segat to make it 2-1.

Canyons would once again tie the game back up, scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth, but Citrus answered an inning and a half later, putting Patton in line for his first win of the season. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Taylor Grace legged out an infield single and then stole second base. Two pitches later, Segat drove him in with a single through the right side of the field to make it 3-2.

The Cougars wouldn't make it easy. Canyons threatened in both the top of the eighth and ninth innings. The Cougars chased Patton with runners on first and second and just one out in the top of the eighth. The Owls went to their bullpen and came back with sophomore lefty Ryan Ponder. After a wild pitch in his first two pitches that put runners on second and third, Ponder settled down and got a foul out to third and struck a batter out to escape the jam.

Canyons again put Ponder in a pickle in the ninth. After getting the first batter of the inning to ground out, Ponder hit the next batter, but promptly got a second out with a fly out to right field. Trouble almost struck again though as a failed pick-off attempt allowed the runner advance to third base and a walk, put a pair of runners back in scoring position. Ponder went back to work though and struck out the Cougars' best hitter to earn his first save of the season.

With the win, Citrus improves to 12-11-1 on the year. The Owls will be back in action on Friday afternoon when they host Antelope Valley College at 2:30 PM.