Glendora, CA(Baseball) – The Citrus College baseball team snapped a three game losing skid on Tuesday afternoon. Citrus Freshman Andrew Showalter went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s in helping lead the Owls overcome Glendale College 8-4.
Glendale come out firing in the first as the Vaqueros’ Chris Arredondo led off the game with a single to right field. Citrus helped out Glendale on the next batter after a bunt rolled through pitcher Aaron Chavez’s legs to put runners on first and second.
Two sacrifices later, the Vaqueros were on the board and threatening with another runner on third. With the next batter at the plate Chavez was called for a balk scoring the second run of the game. Chavez eventually got of trouble striking out the batter and ending the inning.
Facing a two run hole in the first inning, the Citrus bats, which have struggled as of late, came alive. After two of the first three batters got on base thanks to walks, Citrus’ Scott Vincent ripped a single to right-center field loading up the bases.
With the bases juiced, freshman Andrew Showalter sent a line drive to center field driving in two runners. Two batters later, freshman Jake Maynard found himself with the bases loaded yet again, and he made good on the situation with a single to left-center that scored two more Citrus runs. Before all was said and done the Fighting Owls had a 4-2 lead after the first.
After struggling in the first, Chavez made quick work of the Vauqeros in the second sitting the batters down in order, including striking-out the final batter. With Chavez cruising, the Fighting Owls weren’t done hitting. Sophomore Tony Mancuso would lead off the bottom of the second with a solo shot over the left-center field fence, and the Owls would add one more insurance run before the inning was up to take a 6-2 lead into the third.
With a four run lead at his back, Diaz began to put the Vauqeros away. Diaz pitched four and two-thirds innings with six strike-outs and only the two runs in the first allowed. Diaz was eventually relieved in the top of the fifth when he faced runners on second and third and two outs. Freshman John Pollock came in relief and put the batter away on one pitch, getting the batter to fly out to left field.
Despite a seemingly comfortable lead Glendale began to make their move in the top of the seventh. The Vaqueros would string together three base hits, two walks, and a Citrus error, to come up with two unearned runs to cut the Citrus lead in half, from four to two runs.
The Vaqueros would threaten again in the eighth. With a runner on second base and one out, Citrus called in their closer Steven Becerra who shut the door on Glendale striking out the next two batters and leaving the runner stranded in scoring position. In the bottom of the same inning Citrus would add two more insurance runs, before Becerra finished Glendale off by striking out two of the remaining three batters to end the game.
With the win Citrus improves to 9-12 overall and 3-6 in WSC South play. The Fighting Owls will hit the road on Thursday for a match-up at Glendale with the Vaqueros. First pitch is slated for 2:30 PM.
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