Walnut, CA (Softball) – When the season began for the Citrus College Softball team two weeks ago, expectations ran high, and the Lady Owls seemed primed for a great run throughout the season. The expectations hit exponential highs yesterday as Citrus (#8 in SoCal and #14 in the State) knocked of the States #1 team Mt. San Antonio College 4-3.
The Lady Owls capitalized on the strong pitching effort of the returning WSC Pitcher of the Year Corinne Milligan. After giving up a run in the 1st inning Milligan settled down, and set down 11 batters in a row between the end of the 1st inning and the beginning of the 5th inning. In that span Milligan recorded 6 of her 7 strikeouts.
While Milligan was sitting batters down, the Lady Owls were manufacturing runs when they could. After tying the game up at 1 in the top of the 4th inning, the Owls made their move in the top of the 6th.
Caitlin Tolan started off the inning by drawing a walk, but the next two batters were set down in order, bringing Jessica Alvarez to the dish with 2 outs. Alvarez roped a single and drove in Tolan to give the Owls a 2-1 lead. The next batter, Carloina Betancourt, also hit a single moving Alvarez to third. The very next batter, Kristine Escujuri, calmly stepped the to the plate and drilled a double to center field, driving in Alvarez and Betancourt to give the Lady Owls a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th.
Mt. SAC threatened in the bottom of the 6th, but the Lady Owls got out of jam when Tolan threw out Francesca Gonzales at home to end the Mounties threat. Mt. SAC wouldn’t go away in the seventh however, as they scored to runs to get within one point of the Lady Owls. With a runner at second base, and Citrus only leading by 1 (4-3), Milligan got Mandy Pongs to fly out of left field to end the threat and the game.
In the win Jessica Alvarez and Carolina Betancourt led the Lady Owls at the plate going 2 for 3, and with each scoring a run a piece. Corinne Milligan also had a good day at the plate as well as on the mound, going 2 for 4 with 1 run.
In the win the Lady Owls improve their record to 3-0, while Milligan’s record moves to 2-0 on the year. The Lady Owls will be on the road this weekend participating in the Green and Gold Tournament in Irvine, CA. The Lady Owls tournament kicks off Saturday morning at 9:45 AM against SoCal’s #12 ranked Saddleback.
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