No. 15 Ranked Citrus College Splits Doubleheader at Cuesta

No. 15 ranked Citrus College Softball traveled to Cuesta College yesterday and split a competitive doubleheader, falling in game one 7-5 before bouncing back to take game two 9-7. 

With the split, Citrus moves to 24-16 overall and remains10-2 in conference play. Cuesta improves to 23-14 overall and 10-4 in conference play. 

Game 1: Cuesta 7, Citrus 5

The Owls came out strong in the opener, taking a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Madelyn Hajj launched her 13th home run of the season (currently the most in the state) to put Citrus on the board. Camila Abundis followed with an RBI single to bring in Ava Camarena, and a groundout by Sofia Femath allowed Bailey Aguilar to score. 

Cuesta responded with a surge, plating seven unanswered runs across the fourth and sixth innings to take a 7-3 lead. 

Citrus looked for a rally in the seventh. Hajj delivered an RBI double to score Alivia Martinez, and Camarena followed with an RBI single to score Hajj, cutting the deficit to 7-5. However, the Owls' comeback fell just short. 

Top Performers (Game 1):

• Madelyn Hajj: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs 

• Ava Camarena: 2-for-4, RBI, run, stolen base 

• Rylee Praytor: 2 hits 

• Bailey Aguilar: 1-for-3, run, walk 

Game 2: Citrus 9, Cuesta 7

The Owls bounced back in game two. After falling behind 1-0 early, they put up five runs in the third inning. Bailey Aguilar tied the game with an RBI single, and Jaelynn Eaves brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. Hajj then hit an RBI double, followed by a two-RBI single from Rylee Praytor to make it 5-1. 

Cuesta answered once again, scoring six runs in the bottom of the third to regain the lead at 7-5. 

But the Owls were not done. In the fifth, Hajj crushed her 14th home run of the season—still leading the state—tying the game at 7-7 with a two-run blast. Aguilar followed with an RBI double to score Camarena, and Eaves added an insurance run in the sixth with another RBI double, sealing the 9-7 win. 

Top Performers (Game 2):

• Alivia Martinez: 3-for-4, 3 runs, 3 stolen bases (43 on the season, 2nd in the state) 

• Madelyn Hajj: 3-for-3, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, walk 

• Bailey Aguilar: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs 

• Jaelynn Eaves: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs 

• Rylee Praytor: 1-for-4, 2 RBIs 

With her performance on Wednesday, Madelyn Hajj now holds the Citrus College program records for career home runs (20) and career RBIs (87). 

The Owls now await the announcement of a potential postseason matchup, with playoff play expected to begin next week.