Softball: Game gets away from Falcons in one-run loss

File Photo: Kayla Hernandez hit a home run in the Falcons loss
File Photo: Kayla Hernandez hit a home run in the Falcons loss

Holding an 8-2 lead against Long Beach City College on Tuesday, the Cerritos College softball team was the victim of a huge comeback in a 10-9 South Coast Conference loss. The Falcons (11-13, 6-7) will travel to East Los Angeles College on Thursday for another conference game.

The Vikings made their comeback in the fifth and sixth innings, as they took advantage of several free passes to get runners into scoring position and three Cerritos errors. After two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, a base hit brought in one run, while a three-run double and a throwing error cleared the bases to make it an 8-7 game.

The Falcons added a run in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI double from freshman outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) to make it 9-7. In the bottom of the inning, errors by freshman pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Warren HS) and sophomore third baseman Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) set the table for a two-run single that proved to be the winning runs.

Both Hernandez and sophomore first baseman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS) each clubbed two-run home runs in helping Cerritos get out to their early lead. Freshman catcher Erica Martinez (Kennedy HS) had a pair of hits and drove in a run, with Soto and sophomore shortstop Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) each slapping out a pair of hits.