Owls Split With Top Teams In State

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Softball program played host to two of the Top 12 teams in the State on Saturday afternoon when they hosted State #3 Santiago Canyon College and State #12 College of the Desert. In the opener against the Hawks the Owls dropped a close 3-2 contest, before rallying with a 6-4 victory over the Roadrunners to close out the day.

In the opening contest against Santiago Canyon, Citrus got on the board first in the bottom of the second. Freshman Miranda Gil got on base to start the inning via a Hawk error, and three at bats later sophomore Arianna Sanchez drove her in with an RBI single to left-center field.

With Sanchez in the circle, Citrus would cling to that lead for the next two innings, until the Hawks put together three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 3-1. Sanchez would help her own cause with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, but the final three batters for the Owls in the game all went down swinging to end the threat.

In the second game against College of the Desert, the Owls turned the ball over to sophomore Victoria Baltazar who made just her third appearance in the circle all season long. Baltazar held the Roadrunners at bay nearly all game, going 5.2 innings, scattering five hits, three runs (only one of which was earned), and a walk, while striking out two and earning her first win of the year. Sanchez would pitch the final 1.1 innings and earn her first save of the season.

With Baltazar and Sanchez holding down the circle, the Owls bided their time until midway through the game. Freshman Raven Preseau drove in the game's first run in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI single back up the middle of the field that drove in Baltazar. Freshman Valerie Velasquez would draw a bases loaded RBI walk in the next at bat, and freshman Megan Troutman gave Citrus a 3-0 lead with an RBI groundout.

Desert scored in the top of the fourth, but Citrus answered right back in the bottom of the fourth, when Sanchez belted her second home run of the day, this one a three run shot that put Citrus up 6-1. The Roadrunners would scored two unearned runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, but the Owls and Sanchez buckled down to get the big win.

With the win and the loss, Citrus' record moves to 22-13 on the year. The Owls will be on the road and back in WSC Blue action on Tuesday when they travel to Glendale College for a double-header. Game one is set for 1:00 PM.