Thanks to a big home run and then some clutch late-inning hitting, the Cerritos College softball team posted a 5-3 win over host Riverside City College to take a 1-0 lead in their Southern California Regional Playoff series. The Falcons (31-10), seeded #10, will look to close out the #7-seeded Tigers (28-12) on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. with a second game at 4:00 p.m., if necessary.

Cerritos took a 3-0 lead in the game in the top of the fourth inning on a home run from sophomore outfielder Arianna Hernandez (Santa Fe HS), her fifth of the season. In that stanza, sophomore starting pitcher Jamie Ramirez (El Rancho HS) and sophomore shortstop Stephanie Olivas (Warren HS) each drew one-out walks. That set the table for Hernandez, who blasted the first pitch she saw from MacKenzie Maxwell for a home run.

Riverside was able to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to a bases loaded throwing error. The bases were loaded after a pair of singles and a fielder's choice for Austin Schmidt, who sent a ground ball to sophomore third baseman Ariana Mejia (Gahr HS). Looking to turn a double play, Mejia threw the ball away, which allowed a pair of runs to score. Jesslene Contreras then tied the game on a sacrifice fly.

But in the sixth, the Falcons were able to score a pair of runs to take the lead for good. Freshman catcher Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) and freshman second baseman Monique Ramirez (Torrance HS) led off with consecutive singles. Freshman outfielder Joanna Perruccio (Long Beach Wilson HS) reached on an infield single, which drove in Purkey, with both runners advancing a base on the throw. Freshman Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS) came in to pinch-hit and she delivered an RBI sacrifice fly.

Jamie Ramirez, who pitched the first four innings, stepped aside for sophomore Kat Flores (El Rancho HS) in the fifth. After retiring the first four batters, Flores allowed a single and then an error by Perruccio in right field put runners on first and second base. After the second out was recorded, a walk loaded the bases for Jamie Munoz, who flew out to end the threat. Flores (13-2) earned win by retiring the side in order in the seventh inning.