Lacking offense in the last few games, the Cerritos College softball team launched four home runs in their 12-3, 5-inning South Coast Conference win over Pasadena City College at Nancy Kelly Field on Tuesday. With their four round-trippers, the Falcons (17-12, 10-4) rank fourth in the state with 29 home runs on the year. The team will now travel to Long Beach City College on Thursday for a 3:00 p.m. conference game.

Leading the way was sophomore Crystal Cano (Norwalk HS/Lynn (FL) University), who had a pair of two-run home runs, while sophomore Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) hit a solo home run. Sophomore pinch-hitter Stefani Gonzalez (El Rancho HS) hit a three-run home run in the third inning, her first of the season.

Cano gave Cerritos a quick 2-0 lead with her sixth home run of the year in the bottom of the first inning after sophomore Joanna Perruccio (Long Beach Wilson HS) led off with a walk and stole second base. With two outs, Purkey uncorked her sixth home run of the year. It was a six-run third inning that blew the game wide open, as the Falcons recorded five straight two-out hits. Freshman Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS) doubled in a run, as did sophomore Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS), while freshman Jennifer Navarro (Warren HS) drove in a run, which set the table for Gonzalez.

In the fourth inning, Cano hit her team-leading seventh home run of the year.

Sophomore Ana Pedroza (La Mirada HS/Caldwell (NJ) College) started her third straight game and pitched in her sixth straight game. She limited the Lancers to three runs through the first four innings, but saw Holly Riker-Sloan hit a three-run home run with two outs.

Photos by Daryl Peterson