On the strength of three home runs, the Cerritos College baseball team was able to defeat East Los Angeles College, 6-4 in a South Coast Conference game at Kincaid Field on Friday. The win by the Falcons (2-12, 1-2) snapped their eight-game losing skid, and they will travel to Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday for another conference game at noon.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, freshman outfielder Shea Estrin (West HS) got the home run derby started with a leadoff shot, his first of the season. Sophomore shortstop Aaron Paek (Sunny Hills HS/Hope International University) followed with a base hit. He wasn't on base very long, as sophomore outfielder Cody Ahrens (Mayfair HS/Hope International University) launched a two-run blast over the left-center field wall for his third of the year. The home runs against Huskies (9-9-1, 2-1-1) starting pitcher Troy Maki were the first he'd allowed all season.
After East Los Angeles tied the game in the fifth inning with a pair of runs off freshman starting pitcher Leonard Salas (California HS), Cerritos took the lead for good in the sixth inning. With sophomore outfielder Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS) on base after a leadoff walk, sophomore first baseman Roberto Salazar, Jr. (Fullerton HS) clubbed the third home run of the day off Maki (3-1), which put the Falcons in front, 5-3. Gonzalez added an insurance run in the seventh inning with a two-out RBI single that plated Paek, who drew a walk.
Salas, who pitched to one batter in the seventh inning, earned his first win of the season, after allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out four batters. He worked out of situations in second through sixth innings, including an inning-ending double play in the third.
Sophomore Brian Kossler (Mayfair HS) came on in the seventh inning and after allowing an RBI double to Andy Rodriguez and then hitting Ruben Hernandez, retired eight of the next nine batters he faced to earn the save. He ended the game by striking out Brandon Hernandez.
Photos by Daryl Peterson
April 30, 2019
Baseball: Pair of Falcons named to all-conference team
April 26, 2019
Baseball: Season wraps up with 4-1 win
April 25, 2019
Baseball: Two bad innings hurt Falcons in loss
April 23, 2019
Baseball: Late runs not enough in loss
April 19, 2019
Baseball: Trip ends with loss to Bakersfield
April 18, 2019
Baseball: Team takes it on the chin against Cuesta
April 17, 2019
Baseball: Wyatt Hall drives in winning run in the 9th
April 15, 2019
Baseball: Early runs do in Falcons
April 13, 2019
Baseball: Loss runs skid to four in a row
April 11, 2019
Baseball: Bats held in check in loss to Long Beach City
April 9, 2019
Baseball: Round-trippers not enough to hold off Vikings
April 6, 2019
Baseball: Cerritos drops 6-2 game against Compton
April 4, 2019
Baseball: Offensive output enough to beat Compton
April 2, 2019
Baseball: Season gets rougher in loss to Compton
March 30, 2019
Baseball: Falcons earn 8-5 win over LA Harbor
March 28, 2019
Baseball: Run support not enough in 15-10 loss
March 26, 2019
Baseball: LA Harbor puts up early runs in Falcon loss
March 23, 2019
Baseball: Offense held in check in loss to El Camino
March 19, 2019
Baseball: Nicholas Martinez tosses complete game shutout
March 16, 2019
Baseball: Disastrous first inning leads to 13-2 loss
March 14, 2019
Baseball: Team runs out of innings in comeback
March 12, 2019
Baseball: Ninth inning error opens door for Mt. SAC
March 9, 2019
Baseball: Power numbers continue for Falcons
March 8, 2019
Baseball: Long ball propels Falcons to 6-4 win
March 4, 2019
Baseball: Chaffey squeezes out win over the Falcons
February 28, 2019
Baseball: Conference opens with shutout loss to Chaffey
February 26, 2019
Baseball: Team looking to turn things around
February 22, 2019
Baseball: Brief lead doesn't last in 9-4 loss
February 20, 2019
Baseball: Late lead slips away in setback
February 19, 2019
Baseball: Cerritos comes up short in slugfest
February 8, 2019
Baseball: Falcons come away with first win
February 1, 2019
Baseball: Late inning runs sends team to fourth straight loss
January 30, 2019
Baseball: Plate presence leads to four runs on seven walks
January 29, 2019
Baseball: Offense still looking for consistency
January 25, 2019
Baseball: Darkness halts season opener