UPDATE: Cerritos won the game, 6-5 on a two-out home run from Andy Vega, while Joseph Cossette (Laguna Hills HS) pitched the 10th inning to earn the win.

After nine innings, the Cerritos College and Los Angeles Harbor College baseball teams were tied at 5-5 on Thursday. Their South Coast Conference game will be concluded at 10:30 a.m. at LA Harbor on Saturday prior to the start of their regularly scheduled noon game. Prior to that game, the Falcons will travel to Los Angeles Valley College for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference game on Friday.

The Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning, with the big hit being a two-run home run from freshman third baseman Mike Santos (Servite HS). They took a 1-0 lead when freshman designated hitter Sam Rodriguez (South East HS) drove home freshman shortstop Andy Vega (Mary Star of the Sea HS), who opened the inning by drawing a walk.

Freshman starting pitcher Jael Leal (Gahr HS) was cruising through the first five innings and limited the Seahawks to three hits, with two of them coming in the fifth inning. He loaded the bases in the sixth with no outs and was replaced by freshman Carter Stoddard (Sunny Hills HS). After recording a strikeout, Stoddard hit pinch-hitter Roberto Bueno, which drove in a run, while a fielder's choice plated a second run. It was a 3-3 game after LA Harbor scored again in the seventh inning and left a runner at third base.

Cerritos was able to get runners on base all game, but were unable to add to their run total. They left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings. Although they took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, the bases were loaded once again when the inning ended. Vega drew another leadoff walk, followed by walks to freshman second baseman Lucas Iorgulescu (Marina HS) and freshman first baseman Sawyer Chesley (Laguna Beach HS) to load the bases. Relief pitcher Adrian Jimenez struck out the first two batters he faced until freshman outfielder Jason Givens (Santa Fe HS) slapped a single through the right side of the infield to bring in a run and put the Falcons in front, 4-3.

Another run in the eighth made it a 5-3 Cerritos lead, as freshman Julian Francois (Serra HS) dropped a blooper behind the third base line for a double. Vega came through with a single to center field to drive home Francois, with the team leaving a pair of runners on base.

After the Seahawks tied the game in the ninth inning with two runs, aided by a Cerritos error, the team had a chance to win the game in regulation. Santos was able to reach base when his pop fly was dropped by LA Harbor catcher Troy Harding to open the inning. Freshman Bilal Ali (Long Beach Millikan HS) came on as a pinch-runner and after he was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, he went to third on a wild pitch. With freshman pinch-hitter Angel Alvarez (Arvada, CO HS) at the plate, Ali took off for home in hopes of stealing the game-winning run, but was thrown out for the third out.

Through the first nine innings, Francois was 3-for-4 with a stolen base, while Vega was 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Prior to coming out, Santos went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk, with Chesley drawing a pair of walks.

Photos by Daryl Peterson