Leading 2-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Cerritos College baseball team allowed seven unanswered runs in a 7-2 South Coast Conference South Division loss to Long Beach City College at Kincaid Field on Thursday. It was the eighth straight loss for the Falcons (8-20, 3-10), who will close out their three-game series against the Vikings at Joe Hicks Field at noon on Saturday.

Freshman starting pitcher Vincent Fuentes (El Rancho HS) was tossing a two-hit shutout entering the seventh inning. After he recorded the first two outs of the inning, consecutive walks ended his day, as freshman Carlos Valle (Bell Gardens HS) came on to record the final out of the stanza. He served up an RBI single to Tony Monroy and then walked the next batter, which brought on sophomore Carlos Hernandez (Pioneer HS).

Throwing just four pitches, Hernandez walked Vincent Byrd, but along the way uncorked a pair of wild pitches, which plated two more runs. By the end of the inning, LBCC scored four runs on two hits, and drew five walks. They added three more runs in the eighth inning, including a two-run home run by Val Stammler.

Cerritos scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, but also missed out on adding to their lead. They were aided by a third strike throwing error by catcher Robert Barham, which kept the third inning alive. Freshman outfielder Matthew Hickman (La Mirada HS) singled with one out and stole second base. With two outs, freshman outfielder Nick Penzetta (Kamehameha, HI HS) swung and missed the third strike, but reached base on the error. Freshman third baseman Jorge Rodriguez (Bellflower HS) made it hurt, but singling to right field to drive in the first run. The Falcons stranded runners on first and third in the inning.

In their run-scoring fourth inning, sophomore second baseman Derrick Edwards (Mary Star of the Sea HS) led off with a double down the left field line and after he was moved over to third base, scored when freshman outfielder Rolando Nichols (Serra HS) hit a hard ground ball passed a drawn in infield. Freshman designated hitter Dominic Bravo (Warren HS) followed with a single, but was doubled off first base when Hickman's line drive back through the box was caught by Vikings pitcher Josh Agnew, which ended the inning.

The Falcons had 11 hits on the day, with Edwards, Nichols and Bravo all collecting a pair, while the team stranded nine runners on base.