A day after a tough loss at the hands of Golden West College, the Cerritos College baseball team rebounded for a 6-3 non-conference win over Santa Ana College on Saturday at Kincaid Field. It was the second win of the season over the Dons (4-3), which marks the first time since the 1985 season that the Falcons had defeated Santa Ana twice in a season. Weather permitting, Cerritos will travel to Ventura College on Tuesday for a 2:00 p.m. game.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Falcons scored three times to give sophomore starting pitcher Gilbert Romero (Alhambra HS) some breathing room in his first start of the season. With one out, sophomore third baseman Jorge Rodriguez (Bellflower HS) singled and stole second base. He advanced to third base on a passed ball and scored on a two-out single by freshman catcher Andre Alvarez (Walnut HS). Sophomore outfielder Rollie Nichols (Serra HS) followed with a line drive up the middle, with sophomore second baseman Jesus Mercado (St. John Bosco HS) driving in the second run with a single. The third run came on a single to center field by freshman first baseman Michael Gonzalez (St. Bernard HS).

Romero (1-0) pitched well in four of the five innings in which he was on the mound. He encountered control problems in the third inning, as three walks allowed Santa Ana to score three times. A single to left field by William Meissner rolled past freshman Gabriel Gonzalez, which allowed the first two runs to score, with Meissner ending up on third base. He then scored on a single by Nate Flores. Romero finished the game allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits, while striking out four and walking four.

Heading into the sixth inning, freshman Brian Kossler (Mayfair HS) came on in relief and he did a spectacular job to earn a four-inning save. Kossler allowed just one hit and one walk, while his throwing error with two outs in the ninth inning accounted for only the third baserunner he faced on the day.

An error in the second inning, along with a pair of stolen bases by Gabriel Gonzalez brought home the team's fourth run, while Nichols reached base on a two-out wild pitch on a swinging third strike. He stole second base, and then advanced to third and home on a pair of wild pitches. Freshman designated hitter Roberto Salazar (Fullerton HS), who had three hits on the day, drove home the team's final run in the seventh inning.

Photos by Daryl Peterson