Baseball: Rio Hondo edged 7-6 in non-conference game at Citrus

Rio Hondo College is still in search of its first win of the season after suffering a 7-6 non-conference loss at Citrus College on Friday. The Roadrunners will play their third straight game in three days on Saturday when they host College of the Canyons at 12 p.m.

On Friday, Rio Hondo couldn't hold a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning. In the top of the seventh, the Roadrunners erased a 5-3 deficit to Citrus by scoring three runs. Jordan Abernathy got the rally started by hitting a one-out single. He stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball. With two outs, Nick Giambalvo drove him home with a single to right. Danny Marquez followed with a double to center field to score Giambalvo. And Gabe Chavez got Rio Hondo's third straight hit to bring in Marquez to close out the scoring.

But Citrus got a two-out, two-run single from Rudy Casarez in the bottom of the eighth for the go-ahead runs. Citrus reliever Roberto Baldanebro retired the Roadrunners in order in the ninth to close out ball game.

Rio Hondo totaled 11 hits in the contest getting two each from Mauricio Guadarrama, Chavez,  Giambalvo, and Marquez. Chavez went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run to lead the Roadrunners at the plate.

Brady Carlson allowed five runs, but just one earned, and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in the start for Rio Hondo. Anthony Franco took the loss, allowing a run and a hit over the final inning.