In their South Coast Conference opener, the Cerritos College baseball team came up short in a 4-1 decision at Rio Hondo College on Thursday. The Falcons (5-11, 0-1) have now lost three games in a row and will look to snap that skid at noon on Saturday when they host the Roadrunners in another conference game.

Leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Falcons saw the Roadrunners (9-4, 1-0) score three times off starting pitcher Vincent Fuentes (El Rancho HS). A leadoff walk and two-base wild pitch led to an RBI single from Alex Rodriguez, while Nick Ybarra made it a 3-1 Rio Hondo lead with a two-run single.

Cerritos was able to load the bases in the top of the sixth inning when sophomore second baseman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS) reached base on an error, while freshman shortstop Ramon Bramasco (Cathedral HS) drew a one out walk. After freshman first baseman Jesus Mercado (St. John Bosco HS) walked with two outs, relief pitcher Jake Gaudet got freshman catcher Adam Rubio (Montebello HS) to fly out and end the inning.

In the following three innings, the Falcons went down in order, with the Roadrunners adding an insurance run in the seventh inning.

The team's lone run came in the top of the second inning when freshman Rolando Nichols (Serra HS) led off with a single and was moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Mercado. Rubio followed with an RBI single for the Falcons early lead.