The Cerritos College baseball team has played Mt. San Jacinto College twice this season and have scored a combined 34 runs in a pair of wins. On Tuesday, the Falcons (4-1) scored 18 runs on 15 hits, drew seven walks and were hit by four pitches in an 18-8 win that ended after eight innings due to darkness. The team will get the rest of the week off before hosting Santa Ana College at 2:00 p.m. next Tuesday.

In the win, the Falcons opened up 6-0 and 11-2 leads after the first five innings. But the pitching started to struggle and allowed the Eagles (2-3) to score four runs in the sixth on just two hits and five walks, followed by two more in the seventh inning on one hit and two errors.

With the game now at 11-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Cerritos scored five times to put the game out of reach. Sophomore outfielder Mark Pena (Bell Gardens HS) led off with an infield and when the throw by shortstop Alex Estanisalo was high, he raced all the way to third base. After sophomore outfielder Kenton McDonald (Long Beach Poly HS) was hit by a pitch, Pena scored on a wild pitch.

Sophomore catcher Gary James (Sunny Hills HS), sophomore shortstop Daniel Lopez (Montebello HS) and sophomore first baseman Mike Heenan (JSerra HS) were all hit by pitches in consecutive at-bats, with the latter two forcing in runs. Freshman third baseman Jonathan Avila (Carson HS) drew a walk, which set the table again for Pena, who drive in another run with a base hit.

In the eighth inning, freshman designated hitter Kevin Sainz (Valley Christian HS) rounded out the scoring with a two-run, bases loaded single.

Freshman starting pitcher Jacob Carter (Cerritos HS) earned his first collegiate win by pitching the first 5 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits and struck out four batters. A pair of middle relievers struggled to find the plate and combined to issue seven walks before sophomore Jerald Johnston (California HS) pitched the final inning.

Pena finished with his second straight four-hit game and scored four times, while James (2-for-4, 3 runs , 3 RBI), Lopez (2-for-5, 2 RBI), along with freshman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS) and sophomore Fermin Beza (California HS/William Jessup University) also had two hits apiece.

Photos by Daryl Peterson