The top three batters in the Cerritos College softball lineup combined to go 10-for-12 at the plate with five runs scored and three RBI to lead the way in a 9-3 South Coast Conference win over visiting Pasadena City College on Thursday. The win evened the Falcons overall record at 7-7, while they are now 3-6 in conference play. Cerritos will travel to College of the Canyons tomorrow for a non-conference doubleheader.

The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore first baseman Brianna Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) singled, moved to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single from freshman catcher Dominique Jimenez (El Rancho HS). The Lancers took their only lead of the game in the top of the third inning when Katelyn Wooton drilled a two-out, three-run home run.

The lead didn't last long, as Cerritos posted two runs in the bottom of the inning. With one out, sophomore outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) singled, stole second base and moved to third on a single from Spoolstra. Sophomore third baseman Kayla Aros (Torrance HS) doubled in a run, followed by a sacrifice fly from Jimenez.

Davis gave the Falcons a 4-3 lead with her RBI single in the fourth inning, while two more runs in the fifth inning added to their lead. Spoolstra (4-for-4) led off with a single, followed by walks to Aros (2-for-2, 2 walks) and Jimenez (1-for-1, two walks) to load the bases. After a fielder's choice force out at the plate, freshman designated player Chasity Martinez (South El Monte HS) drove in a run with a single, with freshman shortstop Ariana Gambala (High Tech Media Arts HS) driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Three more runs in the sixth inning rounded out the scoring, with sophomore outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) drilling a double off the wall with one out. Davis (3-for-4) singled and stole second base, which set the table for Spoolstra, who drove in both runs with a single. Sophomore pinch-runner Annjelica Moreno-Englebrecht (Oceanside HS/Iowa Lakes CC) eventually came around and scored on a wild pitch for the final run.

Sophomore pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS) kept the Lancers off balance all afternoon and limited them to just three hits in five innings and struck out six. The three runs scored on the home run were all unearned, as they came with two outs after an error kept the inning alive for the Lancers. Martinez tossed the final two innings to earn her first save of the year.

With her three hits in the game, Soto is now batting .511 on the year, while Davis (.435), Spoolstra (.438) and Aros (.455) are all hitting over .400 this season.

Photos by Daryl Peterson