There were a couple of times during the Cerritos College softball team's 11-8 win on Sunday that looked like they were in for a long day. Playing in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs, the #11-seeded Falcons needed one win over host College of the Canyons, the #6-seed, to advance to the Southern California Super Regional. They started off started off trailing 2-0 in the first inning, then took a 3-2 lead, trailed 4-3 before opening up an 8-4 advantage. The Cougars (28-12-1) rebounded with four straight runs to tie the game at 8-8 until Cerritos (25-17) scored three times in the sixth inning to pull out the win.
The series sweep sends the Falcons to the Super Regional, where they will travel to #1-seed Palomar College for the second year in a row. Joining them in the four-team, double elimination bracket are #4-seeded Citrus College and #5-seeded El Camino College. Last year, Cerritos opened with an 8-4 win over the Comets before dropping their next two games to get eliminated. The Falcons played Palomar in their final regular season game less than two weeks ago and have faced the Warrior three times in South Coast Conference play. They also took on the Owls earlier in the season. The Super Regional starts on Friday and runs through Sunday.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team right now," said head coach Kodee Murray. "They battled through so much this season and they are not the same team that started the year. In fact, they're not the same team from the end of the season. I'm extremely happy with the way they came together this weekend and they are excited to advance to the Super Regional."
After the Cougars were able to tie the game on a strange play in the top of the sixth inning, Cerritos stormed right back to get three runs in the bottom of the stanza. For Canyons, they had runners on first and third base when Cheyenne Steward took off for second base. Falcons catcher Krystal Purkey (Gahr HS) made an ill-advised throw to second base, which sent Milana Casillas home from third base. The throw to the plate caused a collision and when the ball was knocked away from Purkey, it allowed Steward to race around the bases for the second run and an 8-8 tie game.
But Purkey, would help get the runs back. After sophomore outfielder Joanna Perruccio (Long Beach Wilson HS) led off with a bunt single and sophomore third baseman Crystal Cano (Norwalk HS/Lynn (FL) University) drew a walk, freshman Jennifer Navarro (Warren HS) advanced them with a sacrifice bunt. Freshman shortstop Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS) walked to load the bases for Purkey. Back in the fourth inning, Purkey laced a three-run double during a five-run fourth inning and responded once again, as she singled through the left side for an RBI base hit. A sacrifice fly by sophomore Haley Petruccelli (Torrance HS) drove in a run, while an infield single from freshman Jasmine Javier (Cerritos HS) brought home the 11th run of the game.
Navarro came on to pitch in the sixth inning after sophomore Ana Pedroza (La Mirada HS/Caldwell (NJ) College) left after five innings. Pedroza limited Canyons to just one run in the first game of the series and did an admirable job in five innings of work in the second game. An injury she was contending with was just too much for her to continue and Navarro earned the win by pitching the final two innings.
Purkey finished the day with a pair of hits and four RBI, while Javier had three hits and Cano drove in two runs. Cerritos didn't collect their first hit until the fourth inning, but led at one time, 3-0. The state leader in walks, the Falcons received five free passes in a three-run second inning and finished the day with eight walks. Seven different players drove in runs on the day for Cerritos.
