Glendora, CA (Baseball) – The Citrus College baseball team opened its season on the road, splitting four games at a tournament in Arizona last weekend, and then losing at Riverside earlier this week. Their season continued today with their home opener against Pima College, a team they lost to in last weeks Arizona tournament. The Fighting Owls made a run in the 5th, but couldn’t catch up as they lost 9-4.
The Owls opened the game with starter Thomas Korn giving up one unearned run in the top of the 1st. The Owls answered in the bottom of the inning when Michael Gonzalez got on base with a single to left field. The next batter, Javier Lizarraga, roped another single to left field. The left fielder would botch the play, and Gonzalez would score tying the game at 1.
The next inning Citrus sat the Aztecs down in a row, with Korn striking out two of the three batters he faced. The Owls would go scoreless in the bottom of the same inning, and wouldn’t score again until the bottom of the 5th.
In the top of the 3rd Korn hit a rough patch, as he hit his first batter before proceeding to give up 3 hits and 2 runs (1 earned). He finally got out of the 3rd when Ryan Lush hit into a double play to end the inning. Pima would lead 3-1 going into the top of the 4th.
In the top of 4th Jeff Van Gundy came into to relieve Korn. Van Gundy opened up his inning by walking the first batter. The Aztecs bunted the runner over to second, before getting him to score off an error by short-stop Tony Mancuso. Van Gundy would get out of the inning only giving up one unearned run. The Owls would again go scoreless in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of 5th Van Gundy struggled opening the inning with a double, before getting the next two batters out. Before he could get out of the inning however, Van Gundy would give up a single and a triple to center field, scoring two runs and giving Pima a 6-1 lead.
The Fighting Owls would finally answer in the bottom of the 5th. Jacob Medina opened the inning with a single to left field, while Jason McClellan followed that up with a double to left, moving Medina to 3rd. Medina would score on the next at bat as AC Grable doubled to right-center. On the next at-bat Shaun Pearce reached base as Pima’s third baseman overthrew the 1st baseman scoring McClellan. . The inning would end with 2 Owls still left on base, as Pima pitcher Daniel Romero got out of jam getting three straight outs to end the inning.
The Owls pitching held strong in the 6th in 7th as Van Gundy pitched a scoreless 6th, and Daniel Sandello moved from left to the mound to pitch a scoreless 7th. The Owls only other chance to score came in the bottom of the 7th. AC Grable led off with a walk, and Shaun Pearce laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Grable over to second. The next batter, Manny Martinez, grounded out, but was able to move Grable over third, but the Owls threat ended when Tony Mancuso flied out for his 4th straight at bat ending the inning, and the Owls chances of a come back.
Sandello would give up 3 more runs, with only 2 being earned, in the 8th and 9th inning. The Owls never got more than three batters to the plate the last 2 innings, and ended the game with a 9-4 loss.
With the loss the Owls move to 2-4 on the season, and starter Thomas Korn falls to 0-1. The Owls hit the road again on Tuesday for a 2:00 pm match-up with San Bernardino.
Score by Innings R H E
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Pima College..........102 120 021 - 9 13 2
Citrus College........100 030 000 – 4 5 5