For the first time since 2016 and 30th time in school history, the Cerritos College baseball team has won 30 games in a season. The Falcons (30-5, 17-2) reached the milestone after a 12-5 South Coast Conference win over Pasadena City College, which took place at Jackie Robinson Field at Brookside Park. The teams will meet up at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday at Kincaid Field in the second of their three-game series.

In the win over the Lancers (19-16, 11-11), the Falcons scored three times in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The lead swelled to 12-1 at one point before settling on 12-5.

The top of the first inning saw freshman third baseman Alonso Reyes (Culver City HS) lace a one-out single, while Cerritos had runners at second and third after a double from sophomore first baseman Mike Santos (Servite HS). Consecutive singles from freshman outfielder Isaiah Rios (St. John Bosco HS) and sophomore designated hitter Lucas Iorgulescu (Marina HS) brought home the first two runs of the inning, while sophomore second baseman Anthony Bassett (Colegio Bautista de Managua, Nicaragua/Los Angeles Harbor College) plated the third run of the stanza with a sacrifice fly.

Maintaining that 3-0 lead for Cerritos was sophomore starting pitcher Franky Lopez (Dominguez HS), who worked out of runners in scoring position in the first and third innings. After the offense doubled the lead in the top of the sixth inning, Lopez allowed Pasadena City to score a run in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch. He finished the inning to earn the win (9-0) and struck out seven on the day. Freshman Juan Garcia (Narbonne HS) came in an tossed a season-long three innings in relief to earn his first save of the year. He did allow four runs (two earned) and struck out five during his time on the mound.

In that top of the sixth inning, Iorgulescu led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch before Bassett drew a walk. Freshman outfielder Diego Orozco (Long Beach Wilson HS) brought home the first run with a base hit with the second run scoring on an error on a fielder's choice off the bat of freshman catcher Ryan Reyes (Los Alamitos HS). With the bases loaded, Santos forced in a run with a walk.

Cerritos put the game completely out of reach with their six-run seventh inning. Sophomore shortstop DJ Massey (Gahr HS/Central Arizona College) doubled home a pair of runs and after a walk to Alonso Reyes loaded the bases, Santos cleared them with a double. Rios then followed by bringing home Santos with a base hit.

Six of the first seven batters in the lineup had two hits, with Santos driving in four and also drew a walk. Massey and Rios also drove in two runs in the win.