Rudy

Glendora, CA - In closing scenes of the eponymous and much beloved 1993 film Rudy, Rudy Ruettitger is carried off the field by his teammates after getting into the game in the waning seconds of their final home game of the 1975 season. While he wasn't carried off the field by his teammates, sophomore second baseman Rudy Casarez III certainly could have been thanks to his late heroics, driving in a pair of game winning RBI's in the bottom of the eighth inning, in Citrus' 7-6 win over SoCal #10 Rio Hondo College. 

 While the game certainly had an exciting finish, the game wasn't necessarily pretty as both teams committed four errors a piece. Furthermore only 7 of the 13 runs scored in the game were earned, and the teams stranded 19 total base runners between the two of them. 

The Citrus offense struggled out of the gate, while the Rio Hondo offense took advantage of early Citrus miscues. The Roadrunners would score a run in each of the second, third, and fourth innings to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The first run would come on a bases loaded hit by pitch, the second on a wild pitch strikeout, with only the third coming cleanly on an RBI single. 

Just like the Rio Hondo offense was taking advantage of the opportunities granted to it, the Citrus offense finally got in on the act beginning in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Jonathan Ayala more or less go the ball rolling, when he started off the inning reaching first thanks to an error by the Roadrunners. 

Two batters later, freshman Steven Mendoza laid down a picturesque bunt that would have had runners safe at every base if it weren't for the Rio Hondo third baseman throwing the ball over their first baseman's head, allowing Ayala to score. Moments later, sophomore Ryan Aguilar would score on a wild pitch, while freshman Francisco Ramirez gave Citrus their first lead with a two RBI single to the short stop that took a tough hop too hard to handle, plating Casarez, and freshman Marcos Campos, making the game 4-3. 

The Owls would add another run, that ended up being crucial, in the bottom of the sixth. This time it was freshman Hiroshi Ishiwatari who would rally the Owls, drawing a two-out pinch hit walk. Ishiwatari would steal second, and then advance to third on a single to right field by sophomore Michael Carlos. Campos would come to the plate for Citrus and single to left, bringing in Ishiwatari to make it 5-3. 

Citrus' lead would last only until the top of the seventh, when the Roadrunners rallied with a three spot, going up 6-5. The Owls would waste a leadoff double to center field from freshman Kyosuke Ushimaru in the bottom of the seventh, but Citrus wouldn't do it again when the eighth rolled around. 

With freshman Cooper Hughes standing on first and two outs already facing the Owls, Campos kept the rallying going drawing a walk on four straight pitches. Campos and Hughes would advance a base on a balk, putting both in scoring position. That's when Casarez strolled to the plate, hitting an 0-1 pitch to center field, bringing in the pair of base runners.

In the ninth, the Owls turned the ball over to freshman Roberto Baldanebro. Baldanebro induced a pair of groundouts and then got the last out of the game swinging, picking up his second save of the young season.

In the win, Campos finished 2 for 4 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Casarez was the only other Owl with more than one hit, going 2 for 5 with those two RBIs. On the mound it would be freshman Davis Radcliffe who picked up his second win of the season, both of in middle relief appearances. Radcliffe battled through three tough innings, surrendering three runs, and striking out three. Sophomore Kyle Dohy was stuck with the no decision after going five innings, scattering six hits, three runs, and a pair of walks, while fanning six.

Citrus won't get any rest, as they immediately turn around and hit the road again on Saturday afternoon as they travel to East Los Angeles College for a 1:00 PM showdown.