With two runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Cerritos College softball team would provide the team enough offense, as they posted a 3-1 South Coast Conference win over visiting Rio Hondo College on Tuesday. The victory was the fifth in a row for the Falcons (29-10, 16-4), who close out their regular season tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. against the same Roadrunners team. This game is a rescheduled contest from an earlier rainout. A win will give Cerritos their first 30-win season since 2016, as they head into the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

Rio Hondo (23-14, 9-11) scored their lone run in the top of the first inning off freshman starting pitcher Richere Leduc (California HS). They cashed in their run on a hit batter, walk and two-out base hit. Freshman Samantha Islas (Roosevelt HS) came on in relief and recorded the final out of the inning before going on to pitch the remainder of the game to earn the win. Islas (21-6), allowed just one hit, but walked four batters. The Roadrunners stranded runners at second base in the third and fourth innings, while a double play ended any threat in the fifth inning.

Cerritos got things started with two outs in the bottom of the first inning when freshman third baseman Brooklyn Bedolla (Mayfair HS) drew a walk and stole second base. It appeared as though the final out was recorded when freshman catcher Vicky Najera (El Rancho HS) struck out, but the ball got away from catcher Alexis Rivera, which allowed Najera to reach first base and move Bedolla to third base.

Najera then took off for second base and the throw down allowed Bedolla to complete the double-steal and score the team's first run. Freshman designated hitter Maddy Guillen (La Puente HS) then followed with an RBI double to account for the second run.

Holding onto that 2-1 lead for the majority of the game, the Falcons added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Guillen led off with her second double of the game. With two outs, freshman shortstop Miranda Diaz (California HS) singled to the right side of the field for a base hit, which plated freshman pinch-runner Havyn Marines (West Covina HS).

Photos by Daryl Peterson