Facing a resilient Los Angeles Mission College in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs, the Cerritos College softball team used three home runs to help propel them to a 10-6 win on Saturday. Seeded #4 for the playoffs, the Falcons (28-12) are just one win away from advancing to the Second Round, while the #13-seeded Eagles (25-16) need to win twice on Sunday. The second game of the best-of-three series is set for noon on Sunday. The win was also the 10th in a row for Cerritos.

LA Mission put a run on the board in the top of the first inning, but the Falcons responded with back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the stanza from sophomore first baseman Richere Leduc (California HS) and freshman outfielder Marley Manalo (Walnut HS). However, the Eagles ended up chasing sophomore starting pitcher Samantha Islas (Roosevelt HS) in the top of the third inning after opening up a 4-2 advantage. In uncharacteristic fashion, Islas walked three batters and hit another, with two of those baserunners coming around to score.

Cerritos was able to tie the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning on a two-out, two-run single from freshman catcher Jimena Velazquez (Fullerton HS). 

Freshman relief pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS) was touched up for a pair of solo home runs in the fourth inning and was replaced by sophomore Courtney Callison (Santa Fe HS) and Cerritos trailed, 6-4.

It was the bottom of the fourth inning where the Falcons exploded on offense for six runs. With runners at first and second base after a walk and a pair of sacrifices, Leduc stepped up and laced a single to center, which brought in a run. Manalo was then credited with an RBI on her fielder's choice, as freshman outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) slid under the tag at the plate for a run. Sophomore third baseman Brooklyn Bedolla (Mayfair HS) put Cerritos in front, 7-6 with her RBI single, while sophomore Miranda Diaz (California HS) cleared the bases with a three-run home run.

After getting the team out of the fourth inning, Callison gave up a walk and hit the next batter to start the fifth inning. Islas returned to the game and shut down the Eagles the rest of the way and did not allow a hit. Callison (3-2) earned the win, while Islas picked up her third save of the season.