Cerritos College softball first baseman Andrea Arellano (Downey HS) clubbed a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, to lead the team to a 10-1, five-inning non-conference win over Santa Ana College at Nancy Kelly Field on Wednesday. The win improved the Falcons to 21-9 on the year, as the team prepares to play their next three South Coast Conference games on the road. They will take on El Camino College at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday to start that road swing.

It was a quiet first inning until the Falcons jumped on Dons (16-9) pitcher Devon Rodriguez when freshman third baseman Ariana Mejia (Gahr HS) singled to open the stanza, followed by a double from freshman outfielder Haley Whitney (Warren HS). With one out, freshman outfielder Danah Vasquez (Sante Fe HS) put Cerritos on top with an RBI single until a walk to sophomore shortstop Ashley Miller (West Torrance HS/North Platte, NE CC) walked to load the bases.

A run-scoring single by sophomore catcher Katie Caraballo (El Rancho HS/Fullerton College) was followed by a two-run single off the wall from freshman outfielder Arianna Hernandez (Santa Fe HS). A pitching change brought on Chantal Oelrich and she walked freshman designated player Jamie Ramirez (El Rancho HS), which set the table for Arellano, who mashed a 3-2 pitcher over the left field wall. Arellano had fouled off five pitches before depositing the ball over the fence.

Arellano (2-for-3, six RBI) wasn't done, as she drilled the first offering from Oelrich to the same spot for a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was her second two-home run performance of the season. Freshman second baseman Stephanie Olivas (Warren HS) also went 2-for-3, with Hernandez driving in a pair of runs.

Sophomore pitcher Kayla Klein (La Habra HS/Texas A&M University) retired the first 10 batters of the game before surrendering a single to Alexandra Perkins in the fourth inning. Klein (6-3) gave up a lead-off double to Vanessa Moreno in the fifth inning, and Ramirez came on to finish up the inning.

Photo by Daryl Peterson