Citrus Falls to Ventura

Citrus College fell into an early hole and couldn't climb out of it before the game was called due to darkness, dropping an 11-6 loss to Ventura College.

The Owls slip to 3-3 on the year, while the Pirates improve to 3-4 with the result.

Finding itself trailing by four after the top of the first, Citrus got one back in the bottom half of the inning after Chad Green knocked an RBI single.

Ventura added another in the second, but the Owls struck again in their chance at the plate to stay within reach. With two outs and runners on third and second, Robert Valdivia hit a too hard-to-handle ball to shortstop, allowing Nicholas Santiago to score, 5-2.

Once again, however, the Pirates capitalized on their offensive opportunity to increase their lead to 6-2.

Citrus put a rally together in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the margin to just two runs, 6-4. With bases loaded and one out, Valdivia drove in one run with a single to left and an error plated another run before Ventura could get out of the inning.

The Pirates responded with three runs in the fifth and two runs in the eighth to hold a five-run lead over the home team late in the game.

Citrus – which had scored one run in the fifth – added another run in the bottom of the eighth off a Robert Moreno RBI single, but it wasn't enough to rally. The game was then called due to darkness heading into the ninth.

The Owls head out on the road for three games, first taking on Pasadena City College on Thursday at 2 p.m.