In the first game of their best-of-three playoff series against visiting Southwestern College, the Cerritos College softball team hit three home runs en route to a 7-0 win. The Southern California Regional Playoff win gives the #5-seeded Falcons (29-12) a 1-0 series lead against the #12-seeded Jaguars (24-16-1), with the second game slated for noon on Sunday at Nancy Kelly Field.

Getting things going for Cerritos in their playoff win was freshman first baseman Kylee Brown (Mayfair HS), who crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore third baseman Jenny Navarro (Warren HS) singled up the middle for the team's first hit before Brown launched her sixth home run of the season. Navarro gave the team a 3-0 lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning that chased starting pitcher Yasmine Jameson.

Freshman starting pitcher Kristen Voller (Norco HS) was cruising along and recorded five strikeout through the first three innings. She didn't allow her first hit until the fourth inning and left after five shutout innings where she gave up just two hits to earn her 17th win of the year. Freshman Jissel Caballero (Warren HS) came on and pitched the final two innings and recorded three strikeouts, including Maddio Riolo to end the game.

At the plate, the Falcons continued to add runs to the scoreboard, as sophomore second baseman Jenny Collazo (Paramount HS) doubled in the fifth inning. Consecutive walks to sophomore shortstop Camille Manzo (La Habra HS/Sterling (KS) University) and freshman outfielder Kimberly Olivas (Warren HS) loaded the bases. Collazo was able to score on a passed ball for the team's lone run in the stanza.

They closed out the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Kutzke (Los Alamitos HS/University of Montana) hitting a solo home run, the third round-tripper of the day for Cerritos. Sophomore outfielder Jezeree Misaalefua (Carson HS/Long Beach CC) singled with two outs and scored on a double by Collazo, with the final run coming on a passed ball.

Photos by Daryl Peterson