All Fluff No Filling

Santa Clarita, CA - Headed into Tuesday's Western State Conference South Division opener with SoCal #3 College of the Canyons, the Citrus College Baseball team knew that their hands would be full. On paper, the Owls were up to the task, rapping out 15 total hits. Turns out Citrus was all fluff no filling though as they managed just three total runs off those 15 hits, and committed three crucial errors in a 7-3 loss.

 Citrus put the first run on the board thanks to an RBI single from sophomore Ryan Aguilar to center field that plated fellow soph Rudy Casarez III. The lead would be short lived though as the Cougars tied the game back up in the bottom of the first, thanks to a score via an Owl error. 

Canyons would come back in the bottom of the second and score another unearned run after a one-out double, and then passed ball that allowed the runner to score from third on a sacrifice fly to right field. Citrus quickly answered back when sophomore Joshua Chua belted a two-run home run that brought in himself and Casarez to make it 3-2. 

The Owls lead would last through the bottom of the sixth when the Cougars scored three runs, two of the unearned variety. Canyons would tack on two more in the bottom of the seventh, while Citrus stranded two runners in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the ninth to close out the contest. 

Casarez would finish the day 4 for 5 with a pair of runs, but was stranded three times. Chua, and freshmen Francisco Ramirez and Kyosuke Ushimaru all went 2 for 4. 

Freshman Roberto Baldanebro would get pinned with the loss, going 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, only two of which were earned. Baldanebro walked three, and also struck out three. 

With the loss, Citrus drops to 7-6-1 on the season and 0-1 in WSC South play. The Owls and Cougars will tangle again this coming Thursday in Glendora with first pitch set for 2:00 PM.