In their non-conference game against visiting Cypress College on Thursday afternoon, the Cerritos College softball team surrendered four home runs, as they fell, 8-3. The Falcons (5-3), who hit a pair of solo home runs, saw the Chargers (3-1) put four runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning, with three coming on a home run by Justice Walker. The team will come back on Saturday to host a pair of games, taking on Glendale College at 11:00 a.m. and then Santa Barbara City College at 1:30 p.m.

Cerritos didn't get their first hit off Cypress pitcher Taylor Pierce until the bottom of the fourth inning. Trailing 1-0, sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Kutzke (Los Alamitos HS/University of Montana) hit an opposite field solo home to tie the game. The Chargers regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Tobi Saltzman hit her second solo home run of the game off freshman pitcher Kristen Voller (Norco HS), who took the loss.

Before the inning was over, Pierce added a two-strike, two-out, two-run home run to give the Chargers a 4-1 advantage. Freshman outfielder Kimberly Olivas (Warren HS) got the team to within 4-2 with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Looking to stay within striking distance, a walk and one-out error led to a run-scoring double, which was followed by the three-run home run. But in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Falcons made another attempt to extend the game. Navarro opened the stanza by reaching on catcher's interference and freshman pinch-hitter Mercedes Herrera (Cypress HS) drew a walk. Sophomore shortstop Raquel Norzagaray (Pioneer HS) drove in a run with a base hit. After a pair of outs were recorded, sophomore third baseman Camille Manzo (La Habra HS/Sterling (KS) College) drew a walk to load the bases.

Pierce was replaced in the circle by Vanessa Ladesma, who got Kutzke to ground out to end the game.