Eagles Overcome Owls in Pitchers Duel

Glendora, CA - The Citrus College Baseball team got six strong innings from sophomore starting pitcher Christ Ghosn who surrendered just four hits, one run, and struck out seven batters. Ghosn would end up on the losing end of a pitchers duel though as Citrus was fanned 12 total times over the course of nine innings, and left a pair of runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth in a 2-1 loss to visiting Mt. San Jacinto College. 

 The first five innings featured very little offensive action from either team. No team got a runner to second base until the fifth inning, and even when the two teams would get a runner on first it was erased either via a caught stealing or a pick off.

Mt. San Jacinto managed to get a runner to second in the top of the fifth on a single and a sacrifice bunt, but he was left there after Ghosn got back to back strikeouts to end the threat. Citrus would answer with a pair of base runners in the bottom half of the fifth, but their fate was the same as the Eagles as the final two batters of the inning went down looking and swinging.

San Jacinto would finally break through in the top of the sixth after a two-out walk and single to center field. That was followed by another single to center field that plated the runner from second and put the Eagles up 1-0. In the top of the ninth, Mt. San Jacinto would add an insurance run (one they needed) when Mauryse McClellan beat out a double-play ball at first that plated their runner at third and made it 2-0.

Citrus would save their best chance for last. Sophomore Rudy Casarez III would try to get the rally going with a one out single to right field. Two at bats, a red hot Ryan Aguilar doubled to right field to bring in Casarez and make it a one run game. Freshman Dominic Baca would pinch hit for the Owls and get on base when he was hit with the first pitch he saw, putting runners on first and second base.

Unfortunately the magic ended there as the next batter got just the top quarter of the ball and hit squib towards the mound. The San Jacinto third baseman bare handed the ball and made a great throw just beating a diving Owl at first base t seal the Eagle victory.

In the win, Citrus was paced by the effort of Aguilar who went 4 for 4 with the lone RBI. Casarez was the only Owl with more than one hit, going 2 for 4 with a run scored.

With the loss, Citrus drops to 4-3-1 on the season. The Owls will go on the road on Thursday when they travel to CCCBCA Pre-Season SoCal #3 Cypress College. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.