In a battle with ECC Compton Center in their final regular season game, the Cerritos College baseball team scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning and pulled out a 5-3 win at Kincaid Field on Friday. The win clinched a share of the South Coast Conference title for the Falcons (24-12, 15-6), who will enter the Southern California Regional Playoffs as the top seed from the conference. Both East Los Angeles College and Long Beach City College also finished with 15-6 records, but Cerritos won two out the three meetings this season against both squads, which gives them the top spot. The seeding will take place on Sunday night.

With the game tied, 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, sophomore first baseman Jose Romero (Whittier HS) singled to left field. That was followed by a single up the middle by freshman second baseman Victor Guadalupe (La Quinta HS) that couldn't be handled by Tartar shortstop Larry Barrazza, with Romero advancing to third base when the ball deflected off Barrazza's glove. After sophomore outfielder Jose Ayala (Maywood Academy HS) was intentionally walked, sophomore pinch-hitter Joseph Aguirre (Kennedy HS) drew a full count walk against losing pitcher Jesse Betancourt (2-6) to drive in the tie-breaking run. Sophomore catcher Chris Carrillo (St. Paul HS/San Jose State University) made it a 5-2 lead when his ground ball bounced over the glove of second baseman Beau Jenkins.

With freshman starting pitcher Kyle Carpenter (Mayfair HS) missing his start due to an injury, freshman Ryan Arambula (Bell Gardens HS) posted his first start of the season. He worked around eight ECC Compton Center hits over 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, while striking out four.

Sophomore closer Elpidio Martin (Lynwood HS), who came into the game with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh inning, got a double play to end the threat, threw the final 2 2/3 innings to pick up his first win of the year. With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning, Palmer tried to execute a suicide squeeze bunt, but Martin fielded the ball, threw home to cut down the lead runner, with Carrillo throwing to first base to double up Palmer. Compton did string together a pair of hits to lead off the ninth inning, but three straight ground outs ended the game, giving the Falcons their 32nd conference championship in school history.

Carrillo went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a sacrifice, while Romero and sophomore outfielder Johnny Martinez (Katella HS) each added a pair of hits. Compton was led by Barrazza, who went 5-for-5 on the day.