Glendora, CA (Baseball) – Citrus College’s baseball team was still left looking for their first home win of the year as they fell to Rio Hondo College. The Fighting Owls had a late rally, but it wasn’t enough as the Road Runners put them away in the late innings.
Thomas Korn got the call to start for Citrus, and after getting the first two batters to ground out, Korn walked the next two batters. Korn then gave up a double to Richie Roseli, who drove in two runs. Korn would give up one more run before finishing the inning by getting Vince Garcia to ground out.
After getting roughed up in the 1st, Korn would pitch 6 solid innings before getting yanked in the 8th. Korn would give up only one more run in the top of the 3rd as Rio Hondo took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 3rd.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Owls bats finally came alive as Manny Martinez singled to left field with two outs and no one on. The next batter, Tony Mancuso, drew a walk, and Michael Gonzalez would step to the plate. After both runners move over a base after Rio Hondo pitcher Leo Madrid balked, Gonzalez roped a single, driving in Martinez.
Over the next 4 innings Korn would improve, getting all three batters to sit down in a row in the 4th, and not allowing a single run in the 5th and 6th. While Korn was getting batters out, the Owls began to manufacture runs in the 5th and 6th innings.
In the bottom of the 6th right fielder Jacob Medina stepped up to the plate and crushed a home run over the left field fence. Dennis Dunn would come to the dish next and single to right field. Martinez sacrificed Dunn to second, and after a walk and a hit the Owls would find themselves with 1 out and the bases loaded. The next two batters popped out and struck out swinging however, and the potential Owl rally was thwarted.
The Owls came out swinging again in the 6th with a new Road Runner on the mound; the Owls got a lead off double from Jason McClellan to right center. Gabriel Chavez would pinch hit for AC Grable and move McClellan to third on a sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Medina, would hit a sacrifice fly to right field, and McClellan would score before Dennis Dunn ended the inning with a strike-out. When the inning was over, however, the Owls were only down a run 4-3, and with Korn improving.
In the top of the 7th Korn, got the first batter to ground out to Chavez at first, and then proceeded to strike out the next two batters, who both saw strike three go right past them. Unfortunately for the Owls they never even threatened to score again, and Rio Hondo would get to Korn in the 8th, as they would score 2 runs (1 off Korn) before finishing the game off with another in the 9th as the Owls lost 3-7.
In the loss, Michael Gonzalez led all Citrus batters, going 3 of 5 from the dish and driving in 1 run. Manny Martinez was the only other Owl to get more than 1 hit, as he finished 2 of 3 with one run.
With the loss Citrus falls to 2-5 on the season, and pitcher Thomas Korn falls to 0-2. The Road Runners improve to 3-4 and winning pitcher Leo Madrid moves to 2-0.
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