Story and photo by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

GLENDORA — After winning the series opener on Tuesday, College of the Canyons suffered a 6-4 road loss to Citrus College on Thursday which evened the series ahead of Saturday’s rubber match.

Canyons (13-12, 5-4) burned through five pitchers with starter Ayden Alger taking the loss. Alger (3-4) lasted just two innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks.

He exited the game with the Cougars trailing 0-2 and had to watch from the dugout as the Owls (10-13-1, 6-3) tacked three more runs on the board in the fourth, thanks in large part to a pair of COC fielding errors.

COC relievers Oskar Syren, Matt Serrano, Rane Pfiefer and Chase Marcoe all pitched in the losing effort.

The Cougars finally got on the board in the top of the sixth when Nick Henry tripled to deep right-center field, plating Max Mehlbaum and Luke Chung in the process.

Felix Brandt later singled to bring home Henry and came around to score an unearned run to make it a one-run game at 5-4.

Citrus added one more on a wild pitch that allowed the runner from third to come home and put the contest at 6-4. Canyons was charged with four errors in the game.

Henry finished the game 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Brandt finished 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI and two walks.

Owls’ reliever Mario Castro earned the win after entering in the second inning and tossing the next four and 1/3 innings. Samuel Gomez was credited with a three-inning save for Citrus.

Here’s the box score.

The series now shifts back to Cougar Field for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday, March 30.

Canyons will then begin a three-game set with conference leader Glendale College beginning Tuesday April 2, in Glendale.

COC currently sits four games behind Glendale in the Western State Conference, East Division standings.

Stay up to date on all this season’s action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.