Owls Open Season With Win Over #5 Oxnard

Oxnard, CA - The Citrus College Baseball team got their 2016 campaign off to a great start on Tuesday afternoon as they opened up their season with a win over SoCal Pre-Season #5 Oxnard College. The Owls overcame a one run hole, with three runs in the top of the eighth, on their way to a 4-3 victory.

 Citrus would overcome early jitters, as three of their first four batters were fanned in the top of the first. Sophomore starting pitcher Chris Ghosn meanwhile would give up a hit against his opening batter, and then watch as two batters later he crossed home plate.

Ghosn didn't let the early run get to him though, as he scattered five hits over the next four innings of work, fanning seven batters, and giving up just one more run, when he gave up a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth. After the bases loaded walk, Ghosn settled back in and finished his afternoon with his seventh K, and a groundout to prevent any further damage.

Freshman Francisco Ramirez would jump start the Owls offense with a leadoff single in the top of the second. Two batters later, freshman Kyosuke Ushimaru double to left field scoring Ramirez who was standing on second thanks to a passed ball, knotting the game up at a run a piece.

The Owls offense would mostly remain quiet over the next five innings, moving a runner to third just once, in the top of the sixth. That all changed in the top of the eighth, when sophomore short stop Michael Carlos led the inning off with a single. Sophomore third baseman Jonathan Ayala would get on the base paths after being hit by a pitch, and after a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Rudy Casarez III, Carlos and Ayala sat on third and second respectively.

That's when Ramirez came back up to the plate. On a 1-0 count, Ramirez belted the ball to the left-center field wall, scoring Ayala and Carlos, and leaving himself at second. Two batters later Ushimaru plated Ramirez with a single to center field putting the Owls up by two 4-2.

As it turned out, that third run of the inning would become very important. With freshman Roberto Baldanebro on the bump to close things out, Oxnard got a lead-off walk. Baldanebro would fan the next two batters, one swinging and one looking, before an error by the Owls got the Condors to within one. Baldanebro wouldn't rattle though, getting the final batter of the game to groundout, securing the win and picking up his first career collegiate save.

In the win, it was Ushimaru, who celebrated his 19th birthday on the day, and Ramirez who led the way at the plate going 3 for 3 and 3 for 4 respectively. Freshman Davis Radcliffe would get the win for the Owls, pitching three solid innings of relief, giving up four total hits and no runs, while striking out a pair.

With the win, Citrus improves to 1-0 in the very young season. The Owls will be back on the road on Thursday when they Pre-Season SoCal #18 Cerritos College. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.