Playing two games on Saturday at Nancy Kelly Field, the Cerritos College softball team earned a pair of 5-1 victories. The Falcons (7-3) opened the day defeating Glendale College and followed that with a victory over Santa Barbara City College. The team will now open South Coast Conference play on Tuesday with a 3:00 p.m. game at El Camino College.

Cerritos vs. Glendale: The Vaqueros opened the scoring with a solo run in the top of the third inning. However, in the bottom of the stanza, sophomore second baseman Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS) hit her team-leading third home run with the bases empty. The Falcons broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks in part to a Glendale throwing error.

Sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Kutzke (Los Alamitos HS/University of Montana) opened by getting hit by a pitch, while sophomore outfielder Jezeree Misaalefua (Carson HS/Long Beach CC) followed with a base hit. After an infield out advanced the runners, sophomore shortstop Raquel Norzagaray (Pioneer HS) laid down the perfect squeeze bunt that scored Kutzke. Misaalefua came home to score when Glendale catcher Jessica Little threw the ball down the left field line in an attempt to pick her off. Norzagaray moved to third base on the play and scored on an infield out by freshman pinch-hitter Stephanie Chuc (El Rancho HS).

Sophomore pitcher Jenny Navarro (Warren HS) tossed the first three innings and was replaced by freshman Kristen Voller (Norco HS). Voller earned the win after pitching the final four innings and allowed just two hits while striking out four batters.

Cerritos vs. Santa Barbara City: Once again, Navarro started the game in the circle and then made was for Voller. But Navarro was able to pitch four innings and allowed no runs against just three hits to pick up her fourth win, while Voller earned the save with three quality innings and five strikeouts. She struck out the side in the seventh inning to end the game.

At the plate, Navarro helped her cause with a two-run double in the fourth inning. Sophomore catcher Jesseca Martinez (Lakewood HS) led off with a walk, followed by a double from sophomore third baseman Camille Manzo (La Habra HS/Sterling (KS) College). Collazo drove in the first run with a hard hit ball to the shortstop, who was only able to knock the ball down. After the first out was recorded, Navarro gave the team a 4-0 lead with her two-run double.

Kutzkte, who gave the team a 1-0 lead with a single up the middle in the third inning, rounded out the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Photos by Daryl Peterson