Displaying power at the plate, the Cerritos College baseball team hit three home runs in their 11-5 South Coast Conference win over El Camino College at  Kincaid Field on Thursday. The Falcons (21-11, 13-4) moved themselves one game ahead of the Warriors (23-9, 12-5) for first place in conference play with four regular season games remaining. The second win secured their sixth straight series win in conference play. The two teams will finish up their three-game series at noon on Saturday at El Camino.

Trailing 2-0 before getting to the plate for the first time, Cerritos was able to tie the game on a two-run home run that wrapped around the foul pole by sophomore outfielder Mark Pena (Bell Gardens HS). After the Warriors took a 3-2 lead, the Falcons tied the game on a fielder's choice by sophomore outfielder Fermin Beza (California HS/William Jessup University) that scored Pena, who singled, stole second base and moved to third on a fly out.

Cerritos was behind one more time at 4-3 when they responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The big blow was a two-out, three-run home run by freshman second baseman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS). The Falcons had already tied the game on an infield out by sophomore first baseman Mike Heenan (JSerra HS), but a two-out fielding error by Zach Ferreira kept the inning alive for Edwards. He launched the first offering from Sebastian Sanchez (8-2) to give the team a 7-4 lead.

Although starting pitcher Sean Kinnicutt (Warren HS) lasted just 1 1/3 innings, the bullpen came on to keep the Warriors in check. Freshman Carlos Hernandez (Pioneer HS) pitched 4 1/3 innings, with three other pitchers accounting for the final 3 2/3 innings. Freshman Mitchell Peak (Goodpasture Christian School, TN HS) earned his first win of the season.

The bats remained hot in the latter innings, as sophomore shortstop Daniel Lopez (Montebello HS) hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, while Edwards added an RBI double in the eighth inning and scored runs on a bases loaded walk to Heenan and Pena getting hit by a pitch.

Lopez (3-for-4, three runs), Pena (3-for-3, three runs, three RBI) and Edwards (2-for-4 two runs, four RBI) led the way for Cerritos, who finished with 12 hits.

Photos by Daryl Peterson