Citrus Bounces Back with Big Win Over No. 2 Cypress After Narrow Loss to Golden West

No. 27 Citrus College Baseball split thier last two home games, falling 6–4 at No. 19 Golden West College on Tuesday, January 27, before bouncing back with a 10–4 win over No. 2 Cypress College on Thursday, January 29 to move to 2–2 overall on the season.

At Golden West, the Rustlers struck first in the third inning on a sacrifice fly, but Citrus quickly responded. Dominic Torrez singled to left to score Cole West, and Julian Hines followed with a two-run double, giving the Owls a 3–1 lead. The Rustlers cut the deficit to one with a solo home run in the fourth and regained the lead in the sixth on a two-run single, then added an unearned run in the seventh on another sacrifice fly. Citrus pulled within one in the eighth when Garrett Patterson lifted a sacrifice fly to score Matt Kaneshiro, who had entered as a pinch runner, but Golden West added an insurance run in the ninth on a wild pitch to secure the 6–4 victory.

Citrus totaled four runs on five hits, drawing eight walks and getting key production from the middle of the lineup. Hines led the offense, going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, driving in a pair of runs during a three-run third inning. Torrez finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Beau Lloyd added two hits, including a triple, while Cole West scored a run after reaching base twice on walks. Despite striking out 10 times, the Owls stayed competitive at the plate, capitalizing on situational opportunities for all four runs via hits or sacrifice flies.

Thursday's matchup against Cypress saw Citrus come from behind with a big eighth-inning rally. The Chargers scored first in the third on a solo home run, but the Owls tied it in the fourth when Jackson Gray singled to left field, driving in Hines. Cypress regained a one-run lead in the seventh, but Citrus erupted for eight runs in the eighth. Cam Casado tied the game with an RBI single that scored Cole West, and moments later Jordan Daniels came home on a throwing error to give Citrus the lead.

The Owls kept the pressure on as Garrett Patterson delivered a two-run double to left field, followed by RBI hits from Nick Velazquez and Derek Almeda. Citrus also took advantage of multiple Cypress defensive miscues and a wild pitch, extending the lead to 10–2 by the end of the inning. Cypress scored twice in the ninth, but Citrus held on for the 10–4 win.

Citrus finished with 10 runs on 10 hits, highlighted by Patterson, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Velazquez was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and Almeda added 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Casado and Gray each drove in a run, while Daniels scored twice. The Owls combined timely hitting with aggressive baserunning — including stolen bases by Velazquez, Almeda, Cole West, and Royce Mendoza — and solid defense, including a double play involving Velazquez, Almeda, and Casado.

On the mound, Conner Luetto led the way with five innings, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out eight. Ryan Harrison worked two innings, giving up one earned run on two hits. Evan Ellis (W, 1-0) picked up the win after pitching a clean eighth inning with one strikeout, and Gabe Buranasiri closed the top of the ninth inning, striking out two. Citrus combined strong pitching with timely hitting to secure the big win over Cypress.

The Owls return home Friday, January 30, to host Imperial Valley College at 1 p.m.