Facing an Orange Coast College team who was making their first postseason appearance in 25 years, the Cerritos College softball team ended their celebration by posting an 11-2, 5-inning win on Tuesday in their Southern California Regional play-in game. The Falcons (21-19), seeded #17, will now travel to take on #1-seeded Mt. San Antonio College in a best-of-three series starting on Friday, with the first game set for 7:00 p.m.

Getting things started in the first inning, sophomore shortstop Tena Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) reached base on an error, stole her state-leading 42nd base and then came home on a base hit up the middle by sophomore designated player, Kayla Hernandez (Santa Fe HS). Tha Falcons made it a 3-0 game after sophomore outfielder Victoria Medina (Whittier HS/Rio Hondo College) clubbed a two-run home run that also plated sophomore catcher Deja Sendejas (El Rancho HS), who led off the inning with a walk. It was the first home run of the season for Medina.

The Pirates got to within 3-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning, but Cerritos was able to put the game out of reach with an eight-run fifth inning that was aided by three Orange Coast errors.

Freshman outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) led off with a single, stole second base and came home on an error on ball hit by Medina. A single by freshman third baseman Sophia Collazo (Paramount HS) and a walk to freshman second baseman Erica Martinez (Kennedy HS) loaded the bases. A ground ball by sophomore first baseman Keira Bolinas (Torrance HS) brought in a run when the throw to the plate was off the line enough to pull catcher Madison Taylor away from the force play. Spoolstra followed with an RBI walk, while freshman outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) drove in a pair with a single up the middle.

The inning continued with a two-run double by Soto, with the third Pirate error allowing the eighth run to score.

Freshman pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS) went five full innings and allowed two runs on four hits to earn the win.