UPDATE - Jesus Mercado hit a game-winning, walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to win the game for the Falcons.
For the second game in a row, the Cerritos College baseball team could not decide a winner before darkness halted their game. On Tuesday, they were tied, 5-5 with College of the Canyons after nine innings, while they are knotted, 4-4 with Glendale College after nine innings of play at Kincaid Field on Thursday. The game against the Vaqueros will be completed on February 21 when the teams meet up for another game. The teams did start the top of the 10th inning, with Glendale putting runners on first and second base with two outs. The game will resume at that point.
Trailing, 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, and down to their final strike, sophomore outfielder Nick Penzetta (Kamehameha, HI) laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to tie the game. Freshman first baseman Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS), who was at third base, took off for home on a 1-2 pitch from Anthony Robles. Penzetta was able to make enough contact to allow Gonzalez to score without a play at the plate, which tied the game. Gonzalez led off with a single to right field and advanced to second base on a fielding error by Brandon Lewis. He then moved to third base when Robles was called for a balk.
After freshman starting pitcher Eric Winchester (Diamond Bar HS) spotted Glendale a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Tom Tabak singled with two outs, stole second and third base and then scored on another stolen base when Jacob Gribbin was caught in a rundown trying to steal second base. The run scored before the third out was recorded.
The lead didn't last long, as freshman outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez (Santa Fe HS) drove a double into the left-centerfield gap on the first pitch to lead off the inning. He was advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore third baseman Jorge Rodriguez (Bellflower HS) and scored when he stole home after sophomore outfielder Rollie Nichols (Serra HS) took off for second base after drawing a walk. Cerritos took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning after sophomore shortstop Ramon Bramasco (Cathedral HS) drew a one-out walk and scored on a double by sophomore second baseman Jesus Mercado (St. John Bosco HS).
The Vaqueros scored three times in the fifth inning, which chased Winchester. Sophomore Vincent Fuentes (El Rancho HS) came on in relief and allowed a run on a sacrifice fly, while a passed ball allowed the third run of the inning to score. He was replaced by sophomore Edgar Velasquez (Montebello HS) with one out in the seventh inning, and he retired eight of the nine batters he faced, with four strikeouts.
A single run in the bottom of the eighth inning got the Falcons within a run, as Rodriguez led off with a walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Nichols. Bramasco stepped up with two outs and drove an opposite field single, which plated Rodriguez.