Owls Back Patterson with 21 Hits in 20-2 Win Over LA Valley

No. 10 Citrus College Baseball completed its second consecutive conference sweep with a 20-2 victory over Los Angeles Valley College on Saturday, April 18. The win improves the Owls to 27-10 overall and 14-4 in conference play.

Citrus paired a 21-hit offensive showcase with a dominant performance on the mound to roll past Los Angeles Valley.

The Owls set the tone early, scoring three runs in the second inning. Dominic Torrez opened the scoring with an RBI double, followed by run-scoring singles from Lance Armijo and Derek Almeda to give Citrus a 3-0 lead.

Citrus broke the game open in the fourth, plating four runs to extend the advantage to 7-0. Armijo added another RBI single, while Almeda delivered a two-run double as the Owls continued to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Dustin Yela pushed the lead to eight with a solo home run in the sixth, and Citrus put the game out of reach in the seventh with a six-run inning. Armijo highlighted the frame with a two-RBI single, while Yela and Koyo Taniguchi each added RBIs to make it 14-0.

Los Angeles Valley scored twice in the eighth, but Citrus answered with its biggest inning of the day in the bottom half. The Owls erupted for six runs behind RBI hits from Armijo, Almeda, Matt Kaneshiro, Joe Gilkeson and Julian Hines to cap the scoring at 20-2. The 20 runs mark Citrus' highest output this season and its most since scoring 23 against Antelope Valley in 2024.

Armijo turned in a career-best performance, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Almeda also collected four hits and drove in four runs, while Yela finished 3-for-4 with his first home run of the 2026 season and three RBIs. Hines and Torrez each scored three runs in the win.

On the mound, Garrett Patterson (W, 4-1) earned the victory with six shutout innings, holding the Monarchs hitless through 4.2 innings. He allowed just two hits while striking out five without issuing a walk. Sean York followed with two innings and four strikeouts, and Hines closed with a scoreless ninth, striking out two.

Citrus pitching limited Los Angeles Valley to four hits while striking out 11 in the win.

The Owls will close out the regular season next week with a series against West Los Angeles College, beginning Tuesday, April 22 at 2 p.m. on the road.