BASEBALL: Citrus Grabs Second Win in a Row over AVC

After downing Antelope Valley College on Tuesday at home, Citrus College grabbed another victory over the Marauders Thursday with a 12-2 win. 

The Fighting Owls improve to 8-10 overall and 2-0 in the Western State Conference – South. The Marauders drop to 10-6 on the year and 0-2 in conference. The two teams end their three-game series on Saturday back at Citrus, with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m.

Kanta Kobayashi had a big game for the Owls, going 4-for-6 with five RBI. Matthew Ramirez (2-for-4, one RBI, two runs), Alejandro Loera (2-for-4, three runs, one RBI) and Anthony Mico (2-for-2, five RBI, two runs) all had multiple hits to help the Owls post 13 in the game.

Citrus capitalized first in the top of the fourth, plating four runs on just two hits. Andrew Duran led the inning off with a walk and was joined on base by Tyler Kretschmar. Loera loaded up the bases, allowing Mico to walk in a run, 1-0. 

The Marauders changed pitchers, but Kobayashi stepped up to the plate and blasted a bases-clearing double to up the Owls' lead to 4-0.

Citrus struck again in the fifth, scoring three runs on a two-out rally. With one runner on and two outs, Loera singled to center field to score the first run. Mico then tripled to send in Loera, before Kobayashi knocked a base hit to center, allowing Mico to easily come home, 7-0.

AVC broke through in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs off a home run, but it was all Citrus would allow. 

The Owls, meanwhile, kept scoring, adding two runs in the sixth and three in the eighth. In the top of the sixth with two runners on and one out, Ramirez doubled to send in the first runner, before Kretschmar loaded up the bases and Mico walked in another run, 9-2. 

Citrus capped the scoring in the eighth when Mico knocked a two-RBI double and Kobayashi hit an RBI single, 12-2.

Ryan Harney threw five innings with five strikeouts to secure the win on the mound. Mario Castro struck out three batters after coming in on relief.