Unable to string together multiple hits in an inning, the Cerritos College baseball team dropped a 2-1 South Coast Conference decision to visiting Pasadena City College on Thursday. The loss snaps the Falcons (30-6, 17-3) eight-game winning streak, as well as their 16-hame home field winning streak. Of the six losses by Cerritos this season, three game been by one run. The two teams will meet up for the third game of their series on Saturday at noon, which will take place at Jackie Robinson Field at Brookside Park.

The Lancers (20-16, 12-11) were able to score their two runs off Cerritos ace Derek Valdez (Los Alamitos HS), as they scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning. They had runners in scoring position in the first two innings, but Valdez (10-1) was able to get out of the inning. In the fourth inning, with a runner on second base, Valdez was called for a balk. The runner advanced to third base and then scored on a ground out by Thomas Villanueva. A one-out single, followed by a double from Evan Nahra accounted for the second run.

Held scoreless through the first eight inning by starting pitcher Jameson Ferraro, the Falcons were able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore designated hitter Lucas Iorgulescu (Marina HS) led off the inning with a ground ball that was thrown away for a two-base error. Freshman second baseman Dylan Immel (El Segundo HS) then drew a walk, which ended the day for Ferraro and brought on PCC closer Ben Griffith. Sophomore third baseman Anthony Bassett (Colegio Bautista de Managua, Nicaragua/Los Angeles Harbor College) advanced both runners with a sacrifice, while a double-steal put runners on second and third base with one out.

Freshman outfielder Diego Orozco (Long Beach Wilson HS) got the Falcons on the board with a ground out that drove in Iorgulescu. But that would be the only run the team could get, as sophomore outfielder Marlon Oviedo (Colegio Parroquial San Rafael N#1, Nicaragua/Los Angeles Harbor College) grounded out to end the game.

Cerritos had several other chances to score, but could not cash in on them. They loaded the bases in the third inning on a single by Bassett, along with two-out walks to sophomore shortstop DJ Massey (Gahr HS/Central Arizona College) and freshman catcher Alonso Reyes (Culver City HS). However, sophomore first baseman Mike Santos (Servite HS) was called out on strikes to end the inning. The bases were loaded once again in the eighth inning after consecutive walks to Massey, Reyes and Santos. Freshman outfielder Isaiah Rios (St. John Bosco HS) grounded out to end that threat.

Photos by Daryl Peterson