Owls Get Split at Valley

Valley Glen, CA -- The Citrus College Softball team hit the road on Thursday for a tough Western State Conference Blue Division double-header at LA Valley College. The Owls got all they could handle from the Monarchs coming back to Glendora with a split. Citrus took the first game 8-6, but fell in the second 1-2.

In the first game, the Owls lead early, getting a sacrifice fly from sophomore Carissa Bender and a score from sophomore Jessica Gonzalez to go up 2-0 after one and half innings of play. Valley quickly took the lead back though scoring three runs in the bottom half of the second inning to go up 3-2.

Citrus tied it back up 3-3 in the top of the third thanks to a solo home run from sophomore Bre Lockett, but the Monarchs took a 6-3 lead not long after with a pair of scores in the fourth and another insurance score in the sixth.

Backed into a corner, the Owls rallied, taking advantage of a Valley error to score five unanswered runs. Lockett lead it off with an RBI single, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from freshman Sara Moore. Sophomore Angela Aguinaga tied the game up a few at bats later, and freshman Arianna Sanchez helped her own cause with a two RBI double that put the Owls up 8-6.

With her first lead of the game, Sanchez nailed down the bottom of the seventh to improve to 4-1 on the year.

In the second game, both teams struggled to get rolling offensively. Citrus had a single in the top of the first, but was held to just that one hit until two outs were left in the top of the sixth. With the offense not producing, Sanchez did her best to hold back the usually potent Valley bats.

She didn't give up a single hit until the bottom of the fourth, and she struck out five batters. Her only real slip-up came in the bottom of the fifth when she gave up a pair of RBI singles to put Valley up 2-0.

Citrus would cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth when freshman Kawehi Ephan laced an RBI double that scored sophomore Veronica Ramirez. That's all they would get though as the Owls fell by one run and were held to a season low one score.

With the win and loss, Citrus' record moved to 9-4 on the year and 3-1 in WSC Blue Division play. The Owls will be back out on the field of play come Saturday when they take on Cypress College and San Diego Mesa College in a triangular. Citrus opens up the day by taking on the Chargers at 11:00 AM.