Softball: Owls Come Up Short in Season Openers

Glendora, CA - The Citrus College Softball team came up just short in their season openers on Friday afternoon. Facing a pair of perennial playoff contenders, the Owls lost to Southwestern College 4-6 and El Camino College 4-16.

In the opener versus Southwestern, the Owls overcome some early jitters to keep it close. The Jaguars scored two runs in the top of the first, with Citrus getting one back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a SWC miscue that plated sophomore Melanie Barba. The Jaguars would add two more in the third, but again the Owls answered with an RBI single by freshman Brianna Poteet and a RBI sacrifice fly by freshman Vanessa Gutierrez.

Trailing by a run late into the game, the Owls pulled even in the bottom of the sixth. A Southwestern fielding miscue allowed freshman Alexis Cordero to score from third, knotting the game up at four runs a piece. Unfortunately the lead didn't last as Southwestern got two more in the top of the seventh and the Owls couldn't answer in the bottom half of the inning.

Things started off similarly in the second contest of the day. El Camino ran out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but Citrus rallied with a pair in the bottom half. Gutierrez would be responsible for the two scores, as she drove in both on a solid single to right-center. That was the closest Citrus would get the rest of the way as El Camino scored seven unanswered. The Owls would score twice more the rest of the way, with an RBI single by Cordero in the third and a score on a wild pitch by Barba in the fifth.

With the two losses Citrus falls to 0-2 on the young year. The Owls will try to bounce back next Friday when they travel to Santa Ana College. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.