Coming into their non-conference game on Thursday, their opponent, Fullerton College, had hit only three home runs all season. But the Cerritos College baseball team saw Shane Carrier hit three home runs off Falcon pitchers and drive in seven runs in a 10-4 loss at Kincaid Field. The team will now travel to Golden West College for a noon game on Saturday. On Wednesday, the Rustlers shut out Cerritos (6-4), 4-0.

It was a 2-0 Fullerton (9-1) lead in the second inning when Carrier hit a long home run off sophomore starting pitcher Jonathan Marriott (La Quinta HS). After the Falcons tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on consecutive RBI singles from sophomore shortstop Daniel Lopez (Montebello HS) and freshman second baseman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS), the Hornets came back with five runs in the fifth inning.

In that stanza, the big hit was a three-run home run from Carrier, which chased Marriott (1-1). Sophomore Adrian Ramirez (Santiago HS) allowed one run (unearned) in the sixth inning, with freshman Sean Kinnicutt (Warren HS) finishing up the final three innings. Kinnicutt pitched well, striking out four batters, but surrendered Carrier's third home run, a two-run blast in the seventh inning.

The Falcons were able to push across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Freshman third baseman Kevin Sainz (Valley Christian HS) and sophomore outfielder Mark Pena (Bell Gardens HS) drew walks to lead off the fifth, which forced starting pitcher Anthony Parente from the game. After an infield out advanced the runners, sophomore outfielder Fermin Beza (California HS/William Jessup University) drove in Sainz with a sacrifice fly.

In the sixth inning, Lopez (3-for-4) singled and advanced to third base when Fullerton left fielder Austin O'Banion mishandled the ball. Edwards drove in his second run of the game on a ground out.

Looking to extend his hitting streak to 22 games, Pena singled up the middle with one out in the seventh inning. He also was hit by a pitch and drew a walk on the day.

Photos by Daryl Peterson