It seems the first six innings don't really matter to the Cerritos College softball team. The Falcons won two more games with walk-off hits on Saturday at Nancy Kelly Field, defeating Saddleback College, 5-3 and then Fullerton College, 3-2 in nine innings. The team has now won their last three games with game-ending walk-off hits. Cerritos, one game out of first place in the South Coast Conference, has a crucial game on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. against first place El Camino at Nancy Kelly Field.

Cerritos vs. Saddleback: The Falcons took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning on a Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS) lead-off home run, followed by a single from Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) and two-run blast from Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS). Cerritos had just three hits through the first six innings. The Gauchos were able to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning on a RBI double from Jessica Angulo off winning pitcher Ana Pedroza (La Mirada HS/Caldwell (NJ) College). In the bottom of the seventh inning, Purkey opened with a single, which set the table to Petruccelli, who blasted the first offering from Kaylee Cranmer over the left-field fence for a walk-off home run.

Cerritos vs. Fullerton: Holding a 2-0 lead after six innings, the Falcons watched the Hornets tie the game when Celina Sanchez doubled and Erin Molina hit a two-run home run over the center field fence. Cerritos scored their runs on an RBI single from Purkey in the third inning, with Petruccelli clubbing her third home run of the day, a solo shot in the sixth inning. Cerritos loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Purkey lined out and Collazo was thrown out at first base before she could get back to the bag, which ended the inning.

The game moved to the California Tie-Breaker Rule starting the eighth inning, which means the player who recorded the final out in the previous inning starts the next stanza on second base. Fullerton was able to get their runner to third base on a passed ball, but Pedroza struck out two batters and handed a comebacker to end the threat. Cerritos was able to get pinch-runner Pedroza to third base with two outs, but Monique Ramirez flew out for the third out. Pedroza once again shut down Fullerton in the ninth inning with a line out and pop up after they sacrificed their runner to third base.

The bottom of the eighth inning for Cerritos, Cheyann Samuelson (Western HS) advanced Ramirez to third base, and with two outs, Crystal Cano (Norwalk HS/Lynn (FL) University) singled for the game-winning run.

Photos by Daryl Peterson