Glendora, CA (Baseball) – Citrus College suffered just its second loss in its past 9 games as they fell to Bakersfield College 5-1 on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Owls got 8 strong innings from Daniel Sandello, but the Renegades poured on 3 runs in the top of the 9th to secure their win.
Bakersfield’s first runs both came in the top of the second inning when Noe Flores led of the Renegade attack with a lead off walk. Tyler Garewal followed that up with a single moving Flores to second. Justin Martinez loaded the bases up with another single this time to right field.
The Owls then got Justin Gordon to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, with Flores scoring on the play. The very next batter Brandon Himenes would have ended the inning, but Javier Lizarraga’s throw to AC Grable was high and Garewal scored on the error. Sandello finally ended the inning two batters later by getting the Rengade’s lead-off batter to strike out.
Citrus’ lone run came in the bottom of the 4th inning when Jacob Medina hit a solo shot over the left field fence. The Owls only other threat to score in the first 8 innings came in the bottom of the previous inning when Gabriel Chavez made his way to third base after leading the inning off with a single to right-center. Chavez never made it home however as the next three batters were sat down in a row.
The Renegades struck again in the top of the 9th piling up 3 runs to push their lead up to 4. After Sandello gave up three singles to the first four batters, with the third single driving in the first Bakersfield run of the inning, Brandon Himenes cleared the bases with a double off the left-field wall that drove in 2 runs. The double gave the Renegades a 5-1 advantage, and left the Owls with a considerable hole in the bottom of the 9th.
In the bottom of the 9th the Owls weren’t able to overcome the deficit as they went down in order to end the game. With the loss Citrus falls to 10-17 and an even .500 in conference play at 6-6. Sandello’s record moves to 3-4.
The Fighting Owls will start next week on the road as they travel to College of the Canyons for a 2:00 PM match-up on Tuesday.
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