Coming off their third place finish at the 3C2A State Championships in 2023, the Cerritos College softball season opened their 2024 year with a 5-0 shutout against visiting Folsom Lake College on Saturday. The Falcons (1-0) were led by sophomore pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS), who tossed a four-hit shutout over Folsom Lake, who also qualified for the state tournament last season. The team will now host Santiago Canyon College at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Cerritos did most of their damage in the bottom of the first, as they were the recipients of three consecutive walks. Sophomore Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) led off with a base hit and stole second base. Sophomore shortstop Marley Manalo (Walnut HS) drew a walk, with Macias advancing to third base on a passed ball. A walk to sophomore catcher Jimena Velazquez (Fullerton HS) loaded the bases, with sophomore outfielder Nadia Landeros (Warren HS/Rio Hondo College) driving in the first run with a walk. After a pitching change, sophomore third baseman Natalie Basurto (Walnut HS) had her tailing fly ball dropped in right field, which plated another run. An infield ground out by freshman second baseman Aiyana Cardenas (Walnut HS) brought home the third run of the inning.

Carranza (1-0), who struck out a pair of batters, scattered four singles on the day. She allowed base hits to two of the first five batters she faced, but followed that by retiring 10 batters in a row before a one-out walk in the fifth inning. Velazquez cleared the runner off the ball when she picked off Summer Lagomarsino, who was leaning too far off first base. Carranza did allow lead-off singles in the sixth and seventh innings, but shut down the Falcons to secure the shutout win.

In the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Jocelyn Doan (Walnut HS) led off with a single, stole second base and came home on a two-out single from Velazquez. They added another run in the fifth inning when freshman pinch-hitter Isabelle Casanova (Lakewood HS) led off with a walk, followed by singles from Cardenas and sophomore first baseman Celeste Carbajal (Mayfair HS), which loaded the bases. Macias drove in Casanova with a sacrifice fly.

Six different players collected a hit in the win.

Photos by Daryl Peterson