In three of their four games this season the Cerritos College baseball team held the lead against their opponents. On Friday, the Falcons opened an early 1-0 lead only to see visiting Palomar College scored the final six runs of the game for a 6-1 setback. The loss was the fourth in a row for Cerritos, who are off to their first 0-4 start in school history. They were scheduled to host Glendale College at noon on Saturday, but that has been canceled due to the rain storm. The next scheduled game is set for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday against visiting Ventura College.
Cerritos scored their lone run in the bottom fo the second inning, as freshman designated Matt Den Hartog (Los Alamitos HS) led off with a single and advanced to second base on a delayed steal. A passed balled moved him to third base before freshman second baseman Dylan Borg (Lake Havasu, AZ HS) drove him in with a single. The second inning ended the same way five of the nine innings came to a close, with a double play. The Comets (4-0) turned five double plays on the day, including one to end the game.
Sophomore starting pitcher Eric Winchester (Diamond Bar HS) had allowed just one single through the first 2 2/3 innings. He had recorded six strikeouts and worked out of a second inning jam when he struck out Trevor Omahen to end the inning. But, with two outs in the third inning and a 1-0 count against Mitchell Moralez, Winchester went down with an injury and had to be removed from the game.
Sophomore Brian Kossler (Mayfair HS) came on and recorded the third out, but allowed a lead-off home run to Justin Folz to start the fourth inning and tie the game. Freshman Leonard Salas (California HS) took over on the mound in the top of the fifth inning and limited the Comets to just two doubles over the next two innings while recording four strikeouts. In the top of the sixth inning, a walk, while pitch and sacrifice bunt put a runner on third base with out out.
With Moralez at the plate, Salas fielded his sacrifce bunt, but threw the ball wild at first base, which brought in a run and opened the door for a two-run inning, which turned out to be enough offense for Palomar to post the win. They added three more runs in the eighth inning against two more relief pitchers.
After the second inning, the Falcons advanced just one runner past first base, as sophomore catcher Andre Alvarez (Walnut HS) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second base when sophomore third baseman Roberto Salazar, Jr. (Fullerton HS) was walked with oue out. But a double play ended that threat.
On the day, Borg, Alvarez, sophomore outfielder Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS) and sophomore shortstop Trevor McInerney (Cerritos HS/El Camino HS) were able to reach base twice.
Photos by Daryl Peterson
