Opening South Coast Conference play on Thursday at East Los Angeles College, the Cerritos College baseball team extended their winning streak to seven with a 7-5 win. The teams will face off again on Saturday at Kincaid Field at noon.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the eighth inning, the Falcons (14-2, 1-0) scored five times and then held on for the win. In the big inning, sophomore outfielder Rollie Nichols (Serra HS) and freshman first baseman Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS) each singled with one out. Freshman designated hitter Roberto Salazar (Fullerton HS) tied the game with an RBI double, followed by a run-scoring single from sophomore outfielder Nick Penzetta (Kamehameha, HI HS) . After a pitching change, freshman outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez (Santa Fe HS) doubled in a pair, with sophomore shortstop Ramon Bramasco (Cathedral HS) closing out the scoring with another RBI double.
Coming in to relieve sophomore starting pitcher Valentin Flores-Gomez (Gahr HS), freshman Eric Winchester (Diamond Bar HS) went the next 3 2/3 innings before sophomore Edgar Velasquez (Montebello HS) earned his third save by pitching the final two innings. Winchester surrendered one run and scattered four hits before giving way to Velasquez, who allowed a two-run double in the ninth inning before closing out the game.
Penzetta got the scoring started in the third inning with a solo home run, while Gabriel Gonzalez drove in the second run of the game and finished the day 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI. Bramasco and Nichols also had three-hit days, as the Falcons finished with 16 hits against the Huskies (9-7, 0-1). Michael Gonzalez, Salazar and Penzetta each added a pair of hits.