Trailing early in the game, the Cerritos College softball team came up with timely hits and coupled that with a thrilling seventh inning to post a 4-3 win over Long Beach City College on Thursday. The Falcons (13-5, 9-1) won their eighth straight game in a row and the South Coast Conference victory allowed them to remain in first place. The team will now host East Los Angeles College on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in a quest to defeat the only team to has beaten the Falcons in conference play.

Trailing 2-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning, sophomore third baseman Ariana Mejia (Gahr HS) drew a one out walk. After the second out was recorded, freshman catcher Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) launched her fourth home run of the season to tie the game. Sophomore pitcher Jamie Ramirez (El Rancho HS) followed with a double and after sophomore outfielder Adrianna Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) advanced pinch-runner Roxanna Jensen (Havre, MT HS) to third base with a bunt single. The Falcons took the lead when Jensen stole home.

Cerritos picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Mejia hit a home run. The extra run proved to be the winning run, as the Vikings (10-10, 5-5) got to within a run and ended the game with the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the seventh, LBCC pinch hitter Victoria Padilla drew a leadoff walk that was followed by a pinch-hit single by Jessica Rayas. Rayleen Pallan laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. Melissa Yepez then came through with a single to left to score pinch runner Alyssa Rayas and get LBCC within one.

But Long Beach would get no closer. Ramirez, who earned the win in the circle, got Mary Gonzales to foul out for the second out of the frame. Amanda Sandoval was then intentionally walked to load the bases for sophomore Melyssa Rivas, who nearly won the game with a hard ground ball that went just foul down the right-field line. But Ramirez got Rivas to strike out looking to end the threat and the game.