With just three South Coast Conference games left on the schedule, the Cerritos College softball team leapfrogged over Long Beach City College into second place after their 13-5, 6-inning win on Thursday. It marked the second mercy win by the Falcons (15-16, 10-9) over the Vikings (17-18, 9-10), who will now play a non-conference doubleheader against Southwestern College at Nancy Kelly Field on Saturday. The team will play their final eight games of the regular season over the next two weeks.

After opening up a 5-0 lead, the Falcons saw Long Beach score five times in the top of the third inning to tie the game. However, Cerritos responded by scoring the game's next eight runs, including three in the bottom of the sixth to envoke the eight-run mercy rule.

In a five-run fourth inning to break the tie, sophomore second baseman Deja Sendejas (El Rancho HS) led off the fourth inning with a double and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. She then came home when Vikings catcher Jocelyn Cebedo threw the ball wild on a ground ball by freshman third baseman Sophia Collazo (Paramount HS). The inning continued when sophomore shortstop Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) and freshman outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) each singled to load the bases. Sophomore first baseman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS) then laced a two-run single to break the tie, while a Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS) single scored another run. The final run of the inning came on a fielder's choice that plated Bolinas.

Freshman pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS) came on in relief of sophomore starter Sierra Gerdts (Montebello HS) in the third inning. The first two batters reached base, which brought on Swearingen, who allowed five hits in the inning, which led to the five Long Beach runs. Swearingen scattered three hits the rest of the way to earn the win.

Needing three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game, Spoolstra singled, stole second base and scored on a base hit by Davis to account for the first run. A walk to Bolinas put two runners on base for freshman outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS), who doubled both runners in to end the game.

Spoolstra went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and scored four times, while Davis was 2-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Soto drove in three runs, with Bolinas and Hernandez each driving in a pair. With her three swipes on the day, Spoolstra has now stolen 31 bases on the year, which puts her second in the state and moves her into third place on the school's single-season recond list. The school record for most stolen bases in a season came in 2008 when Capree Williams stole 48 bases.

Photos by Daryl Peterson