Down to their final out in each of the last two innings, the Cerritos College softball team found a way to pull out a 9-8, 8-inning South Coast Conference win over ECC Compton Center at Nancy Kelly Field on Thursday. Trailing 6-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Falcons (20-12, 13-4) scored four times to extend the game. After the Tartars scored twice in the top of the eighth inning, Cerritos once again rallied on offense and scored three times, with sophomore infielder Crystal Cano (Norwalk HS/Lynn (FL) University) winning the game with a two-out, two-run home run.

Cano got the team on the board in the fifth inning with a two-run home run, drove in the second run of the four-run seventh with a single and finished the day going 5-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI.

On the year, Cano how has 12 home runs and 52 RBI, which are currently tied for fifth and sixth on the school's single-season record list. She is tied for fourth and third, respectively, in the state.

Compton held leads of 3-0, 6-2 and 8-6 against Cerritos on the day. After the Falcons got to within 3-2, Priscilla Gonzalez gave the Tartars a 6-2 lead with a three-run home run off eventual winning pitcher Ana Pedroza (La Mirada HS/Caldwell (NJ) College). In the top of the eighth inning, Viviana Rivera drew a one-out walk, stole second base with two outs and scored in a double by Adriana Medrano. Andrea Quintantar followed with an RBI single to center, which put Compton up by a pair of runs.

Just like they did in the seventh inning, Cerritos fought back. Sophomore Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS) started the eighth inning with a single up the middle, while sophomore second baseman Monique Ramirez (Torrance HS) followed with a perfect bunt single. Freshman outfielder Cheyann Samuelson (Western HS) advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore outfielder Joanna Perruccio (Long Beach Wilson HS) lined out to right field, with Petruccelli scoring. That set up Cano, who launched the first offering from pitcher Brooke Loard (11-7).

Cerritos caught a break in the seventh inning, which helped them extend the game. With Ramirez on second base and one out, Perruccio sent a soft fly ball, but Compton first baseman Berenice Beltran lost the ball in the sun, which resulted in a run scoring and Perruccio winding up on second base. After Cano drove her in, freshman Jennifer Navarro (Warren HS) tied the game with a two-run home run.

The Falcons will host a non-conference double-header on Saturday, as they face Saddleback College at 11:00 a.m. and then come back for a 1:30 p.m. game against Fullerton College.

Photos by Daryl Peterson