Softball: Playoff loss puts Falcons back against the wall

File Photo: Andrea Villalta had one of the Falcons two hits in their loss to Mt. SAC
File Photo: Andrea Villalta had one of the Falcons two hits in their loss to Mt. SAC

In their opening game of the Southern California Super Regional, the Cerritos College softball team suffered a 6-1 loss to host Mt. San Antonio College on Friday. The setback in the four-team, double-elimination bracket means the #7-seeded Falcons (28-14) must now play at 5:30 p.m. game on Saturday against #6-seeded Antelope Valley College, with the winner keeping their season alive. Another loss and the season comes to an end. The Marauders (35-6) had their 27-game winning streak come to an end with a 6-3 loss to El Camino College in the second game on Friday.

Facing the #2-seeded Mounties (28-3) for the fourth time this year, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when an error led to a two-run stanza. After Alyssa Rasso led off with a base hit, sophomore outfielder Kimberly Olivas (Warren HS) dropped a fly ball from Racqual Espinoza, which put runners on first and second base. After a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, the first run scored on a foul out by Kayla Sok, with Aleyah Wilbon driving in the second run with a base hit.

It wasn't until the top of the sixth inning until Cerritos got on the board. Although they had a pair of hits, the Falcons had yet to hit the ball out of the infield. With one out, freshman catcher Briana Lopez (Norwalk HS) drew a walk, and she was able to come home when freshman designated player Carly Gutierrez (Santa Fe HS) hit a ball to Wilbon in left field and she dropped the fly ball, which plated Lopez. Freshman third baseman Rain Vega (La Mirada HS) popped up to end the inning.

Sophomore pitcher Kristen Voller (Norco HS) had kept Mt. SAC in check up until the sixth inning and scattered two runs on six hits. After retiring the first two batters in the sixth, she had Toni Mendoza down in the count 0-2, but wasn't able to end the inning and walked her. Bree Maikai kept the inning alive with a base hit, while Rasso drove in a pair of runs with a line drive to left field. Espinoza made it a 6-1 game with a two-run home run.

Cerritos threatened in the ninth inning when freshman second baseman Emma Wolff (Mayfair HS) drew her second walk of the game, while freshman first baseman Lesley Briseno (Cypress HS) was hit by a pitch. But neither freshman Andrea Villalta (Norwalk HS) or Olivas could reach base, which ended the game.