Sophomore shortstop Marley Manalo (Walnut HS) singled into right-center field to drive home sophomore third baseman Natalie Basurto (Walnut HS) from second base, as the Cerritos College softball team scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull out a 5-4 South Coast Conference win over visiting Mt. San Antonio College on Tuesday. The win extended the Falcons (20-9, 9-6) winning streak to four games, while it snapped the Mounties (23-7, 13-2) 13-game winning streak. The win was huge for Cerritos, who are looking to host a first round Southern California Regional Playoff game and are in need of some big wins by the end of the regular season. The Falcons will host Pasadena City College at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Leading the majority of the game, the Falcons watched the Mounties tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning and then go ahead for the first time, 4-3 on a lead-off solo home run from Katie Griego in the top of the eighth inning.

However, Cerritos wasn't done, as sophomore outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. That put her in scoring position for Basurto, who drilled an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4. Manalo followed with her two-strike hit past a diving Amanda Esquivel at second base that brought in Basurto with the winning run. The throw to the plat was off line, which allowed Basurto to slide home safely with the winning run.

Mt. San Antonio threatened to score in nearly every inning, but where held at bay by sophomore pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS). Although she allowed a pair of hits in each of the first four innings, the only run that was scored came on a solo home run against Morgan Kneubuelher. The Mounties left five runners in scoring position in each of the first five innings. They got the first two runners on base in the fifth, thanks to a hit batter and a double, but could not score, as Carranza (20-9) didn't let another ball leave the infield.

Cerritos took a 3-1 lead through the first five innings, thanks to an RBI single from sophomore first baseman Nadia Landeros (Warren HS/Rio Hondo College) in the first inning, an RBI double from sophomore designated player Celeste Carbajal (Mayfair HS) in the third inning and a run coming home on a throwing error in the fifth inning.

In the sixth inning, Mt. SAC was able to score twice to tie the game, with the second run of the inning coming on a delayed steal by the Mounties. With runners at first and third, Alyssa Rubalcava took off from first base and when the Falcons were indecisive on the play, Janis Espinoza was able to touch home plate for the run before Rubalcava was tagged for the third out of the inning.

On the day, Landeros went 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Macias was 2-for-4 with a pair of walks and two stolen bases. She leads the state with 34 stolen bases on the season.

Photos by Daryl Peterson