Azusa, CA (Softball) -- After being rained out for over a week, the Citrus College softball team finally got on the field for their first home contests of the season as they played host to Ventura College and Victory Valley College on Wednesday afternoon.
Citrus split their two contests, giving up a late lead in a 4-5 loss to Ventura, then scoring early and holding on strong in the final inning with a 9-7 win over Victory Valley.
The Lady Owls kicked off their double-header giving up an unearned run to Ventura in the top of the 1st. Though they had runners in scoring position in the first inning, Citrus waited until the second to get the first score on the board.
With sophomore Kelly Martin sitting on third base, freshman Maura Aguilar came to the dish and stroked a two-out double to left-center field, tying the game up at one a piece. Citrus would take the lead over in the very next inning getting a single to right field from freshman Vivian Serna that scored freshman Amanda Herrera from second.
Ventura would come right back with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth giving them back a 3-2 lead, but Citrus kept themselves in the thick of things with a bloop single to right field off the bat of freshman Danyelle Vasquez that scored freshman pinch runner Jessica Corrales knotting the game up at 3-3.
Citrus would briefly take back the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Herrera launched a triple into left field scoring Aguilar from first and giving the Lady Owls a 4-3 advantage. That lead would be short-lived however as Ventura came back and scored two more unearned runs in the top of the sixth giving the Pirates their 5-4 victory.
After a losing a late lead in the first game, Citrus made sure that it would build a big lead in the second. Victor Valley would strike first with a run in the top of the first, but the Lady Owls roared back in the bottom of that inning with six runs (four unearned) taking a commanding 6-1 lead right away.
The Rams would come back with a pair of runs in the second, but Citrus would continue to keep them at arms length with three more in the bottom of the third, two of which came thanks to a double up the left field line by Herrera.
Holding a commanding 9-3 lead, Citrus almost let the game slip away in the final two innings. After the Rams added an unearned run in the top of the sixth, Victor Valley came back with three more in the top of the seventh to pull within two scores of the Citrus lead, before the Lady Owls finally slammed the door shut, getting the Rams’ Rae’shon Johnson to ground out to Herrera to end the game.
In the split, Herrera carried the day going 5 for 8 over two games with 3 runs scored and 3 run’s batted in. In the first game, freshman Amanda Jauregui was saddled with the loss (her second of the season), while sophomore Kelly Martin earned the victory in the second contest improving to 2-0.
With the win and loss Citrus’ record moves 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Western State Conference play (thanks to the loss to Ventura). The Lady Owls will frantically try to make up for lost time next week, with five games scheduled in five days. That tough stretch begins on Monday when they are scheduled to host Allan Hancock in a make-up game. First pitch is set for 2:30 PM.
Citrus vs Ventura - Box Score
Citrus vs Victor Valley - Box Score