Owls Pick Up a Game in Race for Second with Win at AVC
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Citrus | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 1 |
|
Antelope Valley | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
Lancaster, CA – With the race for second place (and more importantly the automatic second playoff berth) in the Western State Conference Blue Division standings looking like it'll come down to the wire, the Citrus College Softball picked up a big game on Thursday afternoon when they went to Antelope Valley College and came back home with a 10-6 victory.
The Owls wasted little time in picking up three runs in the top of the first inning against the Marauders. Freshman Jade Nua did the damage hitting a bases loaded and clearing line drive double to right field. Antelope Valley would rally with a run in the bottom half of the inning, and then make it a one run game in the bottom of the third with another score.
Citrus put together another three run spurt in the top of the fourth, starting with an RBI single from freshman Erin Murphy that plated freshman Karissa Martinez. Two at bats later, sophomore Kali Smith made it 6-2 with a two RBI single to center field bringing in freshman Alyssa Rodriguez and Murphy.
The Marauders refused to lay down, getting a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-3. Citrus had one more big inning left in them though, when Martinez drove in sophomore Makaele Moore on an RBI fielder's choice, followed by a three run home run off the bat of sophomore Autumn Bartholomy to dead center field that made it 10-3.
Antelope would make one last run at the Owls scoring three runs in the top of the seventh. Moore settled in though after the trio of scores and got a fly out and back to back ground outs to end the game.
Smith, Moore, Nua, and Murphy all finished the day with two hits each. Moore meanwhile improved to 9-11 in the circle after scattering 10 hits over seven innings of work, giving up six runs in total but only three earned, striking out five and walking two.
With the win, Citrus improves to 14-21 overall and 9-7 in WSC Blue play. The win pulls the Owls a half game ahead of Antelope Valley College in third place and just one game back of Bakersfield College in second. The Owls continue their WSC Blue slate on Tuesday when they travel for the final time this regular season for a double-header at Glendale College. First pitch in Game #1 is set for 1:00 PM.