Azusa, CA (Softball) -- The Citrus College softball team lost an invaluable chance to take a two game lead on LA Mission College as they hosted the Eagles for a WSC Blue Division double header Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Owls split their double-header with Mission, losing 6-8 in the first and winning 4-0 in the second, as they maintained a half game lead on the Eagles for first place in the WSC Blue Division.
In the first game, Citrus College sophomore Brittany Patterson got the call for the start against the Eagles. Patterson started the game off brilliantly, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out four batters along the way.
With Patterson dealing in the circle, the Lady Owls offense grabbed an early lead in the third inning when Citrus freshman Ashley Rollice recorded the first run of the game for either team. Rollice stole home after the Lady Owls baited the Mission catcher into trying to throw out the Citrus runner stealing second base.
Mission would answer three innings later, as they finally got to Patterson, taking advantage of four hits and three errors in the top of the sixth inning alone, to score four runs (two unearned), as they grabbed a 4-1 lead.
Trailing by three runs, Citrus strung together three more runs over the final two innings, to send the game into extra innings. Neither team would score over the first three extra-innings, until the Eagles turned two Citrus errors in the top of the 11th inning into four unearned runs. Citrus would scrape together two more runs in the bottom of the 11th, but it wasn’t enough, as the Owls fell 6-8 in the first game of the double-header.
In the second game, Citrus sent sophomore Jen Anaya to the circle for the first time all year. Anaya didn’t disappoint as she went the distance, pitching seven shut-out innings, giving up just six hits, striking out a batter, and picking up her first win of the year.
With Anaya holding down the circle, the Citrus offense was given plenty of time to get things going, time that they needed as they waited until the bottom of the fifth inning to get on the board. Citrus freshman Lauren Pulley would lead off the inning with a solo shot to right center field, giving the Lady Owls a 1-0 lead. One inning later, Citrus added three more insurance runs, with two coming off the bat of Ashley Rollice when she slammed a triple to right center field, helping lead the Owls to a 4-0 win over Mission.
With the split, Citrus’ record moves to 19-11 overall and 12-2 in WSC Blue Division play. The Lady Owls will continue WSC Blue Division play on Thursday as they travel to Valencia, CA for a match-up with Canyons College, before returning home on Friday for a non-conference match-up with Pasadena City College.
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2