Although the outcome of the Cerritos College softball game was a 10-2, five-inning mercy rule win over Long Beach City College at Nancy Kelly Field on Thursday, the score could have been a lot different. The Falcons (9-6, 2-0) pounded out 13 hits on the day, but it was clutch pitching by freshman Sierra Gerdts (Montebello HS) that kept the Vikings (8-8, 0-1) off the scoreboard. In four of the five innings, Long Beach City put runners in scoring position, but could only push two across the plate. Gerdts, who allowed five walks, also limited LBCC to just three hits.

Leading 7-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Cerritos kept their bats hot when sophomore outfielder Briana Lopez (Norwalk HS) laced a one-out double. Freshman shortstop Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) followed with a walk, and with two outs, freshman first baseman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS) singled up the middle to drive in Lopez. Up stepped sophomore second baseman Rain Vega (La Mirada HS), who ended the game with a two-run triple into left field.

The Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when freshman third baseman Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) led off with a double. Freshman outfielder Kayla Aros (Torrance HS) grounded to shortstop Amanda McCalip and her throw was mishandled at first base by Julia Juarez for an error. Freshman catcher Deja Sendejas (El Rancho HS) then drove them both in with a single to right field. Aros gave the team a 3-0 lead with her two-out RBI single, which drove in sophomore pinch-runner Andrea Villalta (Norwalk HS).

Long Beach got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, but Cerritos responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the stanza. Lopez was hit by a pitch with one out, with Tena Spoolstra and freshman outfielder Brianna Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) both following with singles to load the bases. Bolinas then drove in a pair with a single and when the Vikings changed pitchers after a Hernandez single, Aros collected her second and third RBI of the game with a single to left field.

On the day, Tena Spoolstra, Brianna Spoolstra, Bolinas, Hernandez and Aros all had two hits for the Falcons, while Bolinas and Aros both drove in two. Gerdts improved to 7-6 on the year after giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits.

Photos by Daryl Peterson