Baseball: Team runs out of innings in comeback

File Photo: Falcons collect 14 hits in loss to Rio Hondo
File Photo: Falcons collect 14 hits in loss to Rio Hondo

Trying to complete a comeback, the Cerritos College baseball team ran out of innings in a 9-6 South Coast Conference setback against host Rio Hondo College on Thursday. The Falcons (3-14, 2-5) will look to get back at the Roadrunners (7-11, 3-4) on Saturday when they host them at noon at Kincaid Field.

Trailing 8-3 heading into the top of the eighth inning, Cerritos was able to put three runs on the board to get to within 8-6. However, Rio Hondo added an insurance run in the bottom of the stanza. In the eighth, sophomore catcher Andre Alvarez (Walnut HS) led off with a base hit and then scored on a one-out double by sophomore first baseman Roberto Salazar, Jr. (Fullerton HS). Looking to extend the inning, freshman second baseman Alejandro Bueno (Centennial, NV HS) traded places with Salazar with a run-scoring double. Freshman pinch-hitter Wyatt Hall (Long Beach Millikan HS) singled to put runners at first and third base for freshman outfielder Shea Estrin (West Torrance HS), who drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

Rio Hondo scored twice in four of the first six innings of the game to open up their lead. Freshman starting pitcher Leonard Salas (California HS) lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits, while the three relief pitchers that followed combined to give up two runs on five hits.

Sophomore outfielder Cody Ahrens (Mayfair HS/Hope International University) went 4-for-5 at the plate, Salazar finished with a three-hit day, with sophomore outfielder Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS) and freshman designated hitter Matt Den Hartog (Los Alamitos HS) both spalling out two hits for the Falcons, who had 14 hits on the day.