Locked In

Sylmar, CA -- Two weeks ago, the Citrus College Softball team earned a hard fought 4-3 over a visiting and tough LA Mission team. Fast forward to Thursday and the Owls look locked in both in the circle and at the plate as they mercies those same Eagles on the road 12-3 and 10-1 in a crucial WSC Blue Division double header. 

In the opening game it took the Owls an inning to warm up, as Citrus was shut out in the first inning, but came back with a four spot in the second. Sophomore Jessica Gonzalez led off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center. Freshman Sara Moore followed that up with a two RBI double, and score in the very next at bat when freshman Kawehi Ephan doubled her in.

In the top of the third, the Owls scored twice more, once on an RBI triple from sophomore Katerine Cunningham, and later on an RBI from freshman Raeleen Tellez. Ephan would make it a 7-0 lead for the Owls with a solo shot in the top of the fourth.

Mission came back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Citrus roared back with five runs in the top of the fifth to end the game early. Gonzalez and Moore each drove in a run, with Ephan slugging a two run dinger, and a Mission error allowing the final Citrus run. 

Sophomore Carissa Bender (7-0) would earn the win in game one surrendering just three hits and striking out five batters. 

In the second game the Owls picked up where they left off. Ephan picked up a sacrifice and sophomore Angela Aguinaga hit an RBI double to give Citrus a 2-0 lead after one.

Gonazalez's sacrifice in the second and Cunningham's RBI groundout in the third made it 4-0, before the Eagles put a single run on the board in the bottom of the third.

Citrus kept it rolling while Mission failed to do so. Sophomore Bre Lockett drove in a run with a sac fly in the fourth, and Ephan drilled her third homer of the game in the fifth. The top of the sixth saw the Owls score four unanswered as the ended the game an inning early.

Freshman Arianna Sanchez (11-6) got the W in game two, going the distance, while giving up just two hits and a walk to go along with a pair of K's.

With the two wins, Citrus improves to 19-10 overall and 11-3 in WSC Ye Division play. The Owls will take a break from conference play to take on what is arguably their toughest opponent to date, SoCal #1 Riverside City College. First pitch is set for 11:00 AM on Saturday in Riverside.