Offensive Surge Lifts Owls Over No. 7 Cypress

No. 14 ranked Citrus College Softball defeated No. 7 ranked Cypress College 11–3 at home in five innings (mercy rule) Thursday, February 26, avenging an 8–2 loss when the teams met two weeks earlier on February 12. The win improves the Owls to 11–5 overall, while the Chargers go to 2–2. The victory also marks head coach Jessica Brown's first career win against Cypress.

Citrus broke the game open with an nine-run third inning to turn an early deficit into a decisive rout.

Cypress struck first in the second on an error that gave the visitors a 2–0 lead, but the Owls responded emphatically in the third. Samantha Juarez singled home Jocelyn Escobedo to put Citrus on the board. Moments later, Jaelynn Eaves tied the game with an RBI single that scored Juarez and moved Grace Twente and Alivia Martinez into scoring position. Mia Godoy followed with the go-ahead hit, singling to center to drive in both runners for a 4–2 lead.

The inning continued as Anaya Burley singled home Eaves, and Izzy Poveda added a sacrifice fly to score Godoy. Escobedo then doubled to bring in Burley, and Brooke Whiteman capped the rally with a two-run double that plated Juarez and Escobedo, extending the lead to 9–2.

Cypress added a run in the fourth, but Citrus answered in the bottom half. Godoy grounded out to score Eaves, and Burley doubled to left center to drive in another run and stretch the margin to 11–3.

The Owls totaled 12 hits in 22 at-bats. Twente led the offense with a 3-for-3 performance and two runs scored. Eaves went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Godoy drove in a game-high three runs. Burley recorded two hits and two RBIs, Escobedo finished with two hits, two runs and an RBI, and Whiteman added a two-run double. Juarez scored twice and drove in a run, and Poveda collected an RBI on her sacrifice fly. In the circle, Brissa Ayon (W, 9–3) earned the win with a complete five-inning performance, allowing three runs — none earned — on three hits while walking one and striking out three.

Citrus returns to action Friday, February 27, hosting No. 12 ranked Cerritos College at 3 p.m.