In a game with six lead changes, the Cerritos College baseball team came up short in a 10-9, 10-inning loss to rival Long Beach City College at Joe Hicks Field on Saturday. The loss not only snaps a five-game winning streak, it knocks the Falcons (19-11, 11-4) out of a first place tie and in a tie for second place with the Vikings (19-11, 11-4). The team will now start a three-game series with first place El Camino College (23-7, 12-3) on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in Torrance.

Trailing 9-8 heading into the top of the ninth inning, Cerritos was able to push across the tying run on a sacrifice fly by freshman second baseman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS). They scored the run without the benefit of a hit, as sophomore outfielder Mark Pena (Bell Gardens HS) drew a walk, stole second base, advanced to third in a wild pitch and then scored on the sacrifice fly.

LB City was able to score the game winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning off sophomore closer Jerald Johnston (California HS), who was pitching into his third inning. They loaded the bases on a single, intentional walk and dropped fly ball by freshman third baseman Jonathan Avila (Carson HS). That set the table for Sean Williams, who drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Johnston (3-2) was the fifth pitcher on the day for the Falcons.

Cerritos found themselves down 3-0 after the first inning, but picked up a pair of runs in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run from Edwards. They scored four times in the fourth inning for a 6-4 lead, with sophomore Daniel Lopez (Montebello HS) driving in three with a bases loaded double, while he scored on a throwing error off a Mike Heenan (JSerra HS) bunt.

The lead changes hands again when LBCC scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Falcons responded with two more in the eighth inning for an 8-7 lead. With Edwards at second base and freshman pinch-hitter Eric Hefner (El Dorado HS) at first after drawing a walk, Lopez singled in both runs and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error.

Lopez finished the day 3-for-5 with five RBI, with Edwards going 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore outfielder Fermin Beza (California HS/William Jessup University) also had two hits and scored twice.