After the first inning of their 7-1 non-conference loss to Palomar College at Kincaid Field on Wednesday, the Cerritos College baseball team was already in a 4-0 hole. Sophomore starting pitcher Kyle Carpenter (Mayfair HS) allowed just two hits, but a pair of walks and wild pitches on two strikeouts allowed the Comets (9-2) to take their early lead.

Carpenter (0-1), who lasted six innings, struck out four batters in the first inning, but a throwing error on freshman catcher Gary James (Sunny Hills HS) on a strikeout brought home one of the runs. Palomar's Vince Mori followed with a two-out, two-run single that drove in the final two runs of the inning.

The Falcons saw a great chance to get back into the game slip away in the third inning. Sophomore first baseman Brett Thompson (Corona del Mar HS/Saddleback College) had just driven in the team's lone run to make it a 4-1 game, with sophomore third baseman Victor Guadalupe (La Quinta HS) on deck with a pair of runners on base. Guadalupe launched the first offering from Taylor Turski, but his deep fly ball was brought down by left fielder Joey Cooper, who crashed into the wall to end the threat.

Palomar added a single run in the fifth inning on a Francis Christy home run and then scored two more in the seventh to finish off the scoring.

Freshman outfielder Jesse Perdomo (California HS) had two of the Falcons five hits and scored the lone run.

The team will travel to Fullerton College on Friday for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference game.

Photos by Daryl Peterson