Cruising to an early 7-0 lead in their South Coast Conference game at Los Angeles Harbor College on Tuesday, the Cerritos College softball team had to hold off a late surge in a 7-6 win. The Falcons evened their conference record at 9-9, while they are now 14-16 on the year. After playing seven of their last eight games on the road, the team will return to Nancy Kelly Field for a 3:00 p.m. conference game against Long Beach City College on Thursday.

Cerritos put four runs on the board in the top of the first inning and added another run in the second inning. Freshman outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) got things going in the first inning with a one-out double and then scored on a triple by sophomore first baseman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS). The extra base hits kept on coming, as sophomore designated player Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) added an RBI double. Freshman third baseman Sophia Collazo (Paramount HS) capped off the scoring in the first inning with a two-run double. Bolinas drove in a run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly.

Staked to a big lead, freshman pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS) allowed six hits through the first three innings and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning. She stepped aside for sophomore Sierra Gerdts (Montebello HS), who allowed three runs in the fifth inning, which was helped along by a pair of infield errors. Leading, 7-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Gerdts surrendered a three-run home run with two outs, but recorded the final out to end the game.

Sophomore shortstop Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) finished the game 3-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases, while Collazo went 3-for-4 and freshman outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) was 3-for-4 with a triple and run scored. Also collecting a pair of hits on the day were Davis and sophomore second baseman Deja Sendejas (El Rancho HS).