Citrus College Baseball delivered an impressive performance this weekend, sweeping Bakersfield College with 8-2 and 10-4 victories to improve their record to 8-10 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Owls dominated both games, showcasing strong pitching and offensive depth, while Bakersfield College dropped to 8-9 overall and 0-3 in conference.
In the first game on Friday, Citrus College secured an 8-2 win at Bakersfield College, led by a dominant pitching performance from Isaac Gonzales. Gonzales earned his third win of the season, going seven innings while striking out 10 batters and allowing just two runs. The Owls’ offense was equally potent, as Nathan Hellein, Luke Willison, and Jordan Quintero each went 3-for-5, combining for four RBIs and four runs scored. Chase Bernal contributed with two RBIs, and Danyal Jenkins stole two bases, continuing his leadership on the base paths. The Owls’ bullpen also delivered with Jonathan Maldonado tossing a no-hit eighth inning and Reece Harney striking out two in the ninth to seal the win.
The Owls returned to Citrus College for the series finale on Saturday, where they triumphed 10-4 to complete the sweep. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Citrus responded with a three-run rally in the third to take a 3-2 lead. Bakersfield answered in the fourth, reclaiming the lead at 4-3, but Citrus exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-4. The Owls tacked on additional runs with a strong offensive effort from Dustin Yela, who went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Danyal Jenkins continued his stellar play, going 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, and two stolen bases, bringing his total to 16 stolen bases on the season, second in the conference.
The Owls’ pitching staff kept the Renegades in check, with Isaiah Santoyo striking out three in 3.1 innings, Eddie Rocha (W, 2-2) earning the win after 4.2 innings of six-strikeout ball, and Reece Harney closing out the game with a one-hit performance in the ninth.
With this series sweep, Citrus College stands at the top of the conference and will look to build on this momentum as they travel to College of the Canyons for a three-game series starting Tuesday, March 11th at 2 p.m.
