Azusa, CA (Softball) -- The Citrus College softball team cemented their playoff dreams on Tuesday afternoon with a double-header sweep over Canyons College. Their 10-4 and 12-1 wins in their final regular season games of the season will almost certainly guarantee the Owls a spot in the 2008 Southern California playoffs.
With their playoff hopes on the line in today’s contest, Citrus’ bats awoke from a slump that has hurt them over the past few weeks. For the first time since the beginning of April, the Fighting Owls collected at least 9 hits in back to back games.
The Owls would get started early in the first game, after surrendering three unearned runs in the top of the third inning, Citrus answered back with five scores in the bottom of that same inning. After Desiree Perez, Melanie Hansen, and Cassie Ward all led off the inning with singles, sophomore Amanda Mays came to the plate and smacked a three-run home-run to left-center field helping give Citrus a 5-3 lead after the inning was over.
Canyons would respond with another run in the fifth, one of the few hiccups for Citrus starter Brittany Patterson, but the Owls came out roaring in the bottom of the inning with an answer. Ward would lead off the inning with a deep triple to center field, and was driven in one batter later, when Mays picked up her fourth RBI of the game on a single to center field.
Citrus would add one more run in the sixth before settling in for a 10-4 victory in the first game. Starter Brittany Patterson would pick up her 15th victory of the season, as she gave up just one earned run, all while striking out seven batters.
The Lady Owls would pick up right where they left off in the second frame of the day, but this time it would take a few innings to get warmed back up. With starter Alex Arguelles manning the circle for Citrus, the Lady Owls were afforded all the time they needed, as Arguelles struck out two batters, surrendered just three hits, and allowed just one run, in six nearly flawless innings of work.
Citrus’ first two runs of the game wouldn’t come until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Ashley Rollice’s single through the right side of the field with two outs drove in Lauren Pulley. Rollice would cross the plate herself two batters later, when the Owls took advantage of a Cougar miscue at short-stop.
Canyons would come back with a run in the top of the fifth, but Citrus as always responded, this time with a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Jennifer Anaya’s two-run home-run to left-center field was the brightest spot, as Citrus jumped out to a 6-1 lead. The Lady Owls would close the game out one inning later, as they scored six runs (4 earned), to mercy rule the Cougars in six innings.
With the wins over Canyons, Citrus’ regular season record ends up at 28-16 overall and 20-5 in WSC Blue Division play. Though they came up just a game short of their second consecutive conference championship, the Owls will get a chance to make some noise in the upcoming Southern California playoffs. Brackets for the playoffs will be released Friday night April 25th. Stay tuned to the Citrus web-site for all of the up-to-date playoff information.
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2