Looking for another dramatic finish, the Cerritos College softball team left the tying run on third base in an 8-7 South Coast Conference loss to El Camino College on Tuesday at Nancy Kelly Field. The Falcons (22-13, 13-5), who won their last three games with walk-off hits, entered the seventh inning trailing the first place Warriors by two runs. But after getting to within a run, their magic ran out and the loss drops them two games behind El Camino with three conference games remaining.

In addition to the Falcons losing, Mt. San Antonio - who is tied for second with Cerritos - was defeated by Long Beach City College, 8-2, with both team now two games from the top spot.

Tomorrow, the team will complete their protested game against East Los Angeles at 3:00 p.m., with the team trailing, 2-1 in the fifth inning.

Cerritos opened up a 5-0 lead against El Camino and were poised to put the game away early. The team left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, as well as runners on second and third base in the third inning, but still led, 3-0. They picked up two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out, two-run home run from freshman shortstop Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS), while an RBI ground out with the bases loaded in the third inning from sophomore outfielder Joanna Perruccio (Long Beach Wilson HS) made it 3-0.

In the first inning, the Falcons collected three straight singles after the Collazo home run, but sophomore second baseman Monique Ramirez (Torrance HS) popped up to end the inning. With the bases loaded in the second inning, sophomore catcher Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) grounded into a fielder's choice to end that threat. Purkey rebounded in her next plate appearance by clubbing a two-run home run to give the team a 5-0 lead.

But El Camino fought back with two solo home runs in the fourth inning and took the lead in the fifth inning, with the big hit being a two-out grand slam by winning pitcher Reina Trejo. Sophomore pitcher Ana Pedroza (La Mirada HS/Caldwell (NJ) College) issued consecutive walks, the second of which drove in a run, before surrendering the grand slam.

Collazo hit her second home run of the game, a solo shot in the sixth to get to within 7-6. After the Warriors added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, Cerritos started their comeback attempt. Sophomore outfielder Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS) led off with a double, while freshman Raquel Norzagary (Pioneer HS) drew a walk. A sacrifice bunt by Ramirez advanced the runners, while an infield out from freshman outfielder Jasmine Javier (Cerritos HS) brought home a run. Perruccio grounded back to the pitcher to end the game.

Photos by Daryl Peterson