Kali Klutch

Glendora, CA -- Playing their fifth game in four days, the Citrus College Softball team didn't look like itself through the first five innings of their non-conference contest with visiting East Los Angeles College. The Owls were listless in the field with three errors and one hit in that span. Things turned around quickly though in the final two frames as the Owls overcame a five run deficit and got a clutch walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh from freshman Kali Smith to give Citrus a 6-5 win.

Despite Citrus' early struggles, East Los Angeles didn't take real advantage until the top of the fourth when they scored a pair of unearned runs. In the very next inning, the Huskies scored three more, only two of which were earned to take a seemingly large 5-0 lead.

Citrus finally got things going in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomores Erinn Jaramillo and Megan Troutman along with freshman Jessica Brown, loaded the bases up with one out to kick things off. After the next Owl batter was sent the bench striking out swinging, Jaramillo finally put the Owls on the board after scoring on a passed ball.

Smith then sprung into action four pitches later when she hit an infield single that scored Brown to make it 2-5. The Owls weren't down yet either, as sophomore Kiana "Kalei" Guillermo drove in two with a single through the right side of the field, and on the same play had sophomore Bobbi Stalnaker tie it up after the relay back into the infield was misplayed by the Huskies.

Citrus kept it going in the seventh, as freshman Stephanie Noriega led the inning off with a single to center field.  Jaramillo would get on via a walk, but the next two Owls batters struck out. That brought freshman Autumn Bartholomy to the plate. Up 2-0 in the count, Bartholomy singled to right field loading the bases up and bringing the aforementioned Smith to plate. Smith worked a 2-2 count and fouled off a number of pitches, before coming up with a clutch single back up the middle of the field to win the game in walk-off fashion.

With the win, Citrus improves to 17-6 overall. The Owls will be back at home on Tuesday when they host Los Angeles Valley College in a WSC Blue Double-Header. Game one is set for a 1:00 PM first pitch.