In three of the last nine games, Cerritos College catcher Briana Lopez (Norwalk HS) has hit a pair of home runs. On Saturday against College of the Canyons, Lopez clubbed two home runs, including her third grand slam of the season, and drove in a career-high seven runs in a 16-7, 6-inning non-conference road win. The 18 home runs by Lopez draws her closer to the college's single-season record of 20 home runs hit by Samantha Vaaulu in 2009, while she also leads the state in round-trippers.
The victory improves the Falcons record to 19-13 overall and they will travel to Ventura College on Monday for a 3:00 p.m. rain make-up game.
In the top of the second inning, freshman Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) led off with a double, and after sophomores Rain Vega (La Mirada HS) and Emma Wolff (Mayfair HS) drew two-out walks, Lopez gave Cerritos a 4-0 lead with her grand slam. The lead swelled to 7-0 after scoring three more times in the third inning. Freshman Brianna Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) singled to open the inning and advanced to second base on an error, with freshman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS) reaching first base. Freshman Deja Sendejas (El Rancho HS) then reached on an infield single and advanced all the way to third base on the wild throw to first base, which allowed two runs to score. Sendejas then scored on a wild pitch.
College of the Canyons (22-12) made a run over the next two innings, scoring three times in each stanza to get to within, 7-6. Freshman pitcher Allisyn Udell (Whittier Christian HS) withstood the scoring surge and went on to pitch a complete game to earn the win. She allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits.
But the Falcons weren't done at the plate, adding three runs of their own in the fifth inning and put the game out of reach with their six-run sixth inning. Lopez brought in a run with a bases loaded walk in the fifth inning, followed by RBI singles from freshman Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) and Brianna Spoolstra. The sixth inning saw runs scored on both a wild pitch and passed ball, with Lopez launching a two-run blast. Brianna Spoolstra contributed a run-scorin double, with Bolinas closing out the runs with an RBI single.
Brianna Spoolstra (3-for-4, 2RBI), Lopez (2-for-4, 2HR, 7RBI), Tena Spoolstra (2-for-3, 2BB), Hernandez (2-for-4) and Vega (2-for-2, 3R, 2BB) led the 15-hit attack by the Falcons.