Behind a strong pitching effort by sophomore Ryan Arambula (Bell Gardens HS) and the hitting of freshman catcher Gary James (Sunny Hills HS), the Cerritos College baseball team snapped their three-game losing streak with a 10-1 win over Merced College on Wednesday. With the win, the Falcons improved to 14-12 and have one more game left while in Santa Maria. The team will take on College of the Canyons at 11:0 a.m. at Allan Hancock College on Thursday.

Arambula (5-3) pitched six shutout innings and allowed just three hits, while striking out eight batters. Sophomore George Mendoza (Bell Gardens HS) earned his third save of the year by pitching the final three innings and recorded four strikeouts.

At the plate, James drove in the second run of the first inning on a base hit and gave the team a 3-0 lead in the third inning with another run-scoring single. It was a 5-0 Falcons lead in the fourth inning after sophomore outfielder Shane Preston (Deer Creek, OK HS) and James posted consecutive RBI singles.

Cerritos posted a five-run seventh inning to put the game out of reach. Freshman shortstop Benny Arce (Santa Monica HS) and sophomore first baseman Brett Thompson (Corona del Mar HS/Saddleback College) started the inning with base hits. Sophomore second baseman Justin Walsh (Katella HS) followed with an RBI single, followed by a double from freshman outfielder Mark Pena (Bell Gardens HS), which brought in another run.

The inning continued when freshman pinch-hitter Omar Moncayo (Mayfair HS) drove in a run with a base hit to keep the bases loaded. James finished his day by driving in his fourth run with a walk, with the final run of the game coming on a double play.

Thompson and James each finished with three hits for the Falcons, with Preston going 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.