Holding a 2-0 lead for the majority of their South Coast Conference game, the Cerritos College baseball team saw host East Los Angeles College score late runs and eventually record a 3-2 win. The loss by the Falcons droped their season record to 14-21 and 9-11 in SCC play, while the Huskies improved to 23-12 and 13-7. Cerritos will close out their season at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at Kincaid Field against East LA.

After the Huskies scored once in the bottom of the eighth inning, they tied the game in the ninth with a pinch-hit home run from Zachary Ashford off freshman relief pitcher Elpidio Martin (Lynwood HS). That extended the game into extra innings, where the Falcons failed to get hits in the 10th and 11th innings, but threatened in the 12th inning.

Freshman outfielders Johnny Martinez (Katella HS) and Joseph Rivera (Savanna HS) both singled with one out, putting runners on first and third base. But relief pitcher Robert Engels (3-0) struck out freshman Jared Robinson (Bishop Amat HS) and freshman third baseman Hayden Stevens (Katella HS) grounded out to end the threat.

But in the 12th inning, Martin (1-1) allowed a one out single to Rodrigo Martinez before being replace by sophomore Dylan Gervais (Rogers HS/Grays Harbor, WA CC). Martinez was sacrificed to second base before Andrew Gutierrez slapped out a hit to put runners at first and second. Gervias then uncorked a pair of wild pitches, which move the runners around, eventually allowing Martinez to score and end the game.

Martinez and Rivera combined for seven of the 10 Falcon hits on the day, while sophomore starting pitcher Sebastian Frutos (Bellflower HS) went 7 2/3 innings and allowed one run on six hits and struck out four batters.

Photo by Daryl Peterson