Continuing to stack up wins, the Cerritos College softball team recorded an 8-0, six-inning South Coast Conference win over Pasadena City College on Thursday at Nancy Kelly Field. The victory was the fifth in a row for the Falcons (21-9, 10-6), who will travel to Compton College for a 1:00 p.m. conference game on Friday.

Sophomore outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) got the scoring started when she led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. Cerritos also took advantage of several Lancers (6-24, 0-17) errors, as one miscue led to a run in the second inning, while another brought home two more in the fifth inning. In the second inning, freshman outfielder Morgan Fontela (Long Beach Millikan HS) laced a one-out single and advanced to second base when Pasadena City catcher Lucero Alcarez threw the ball away on a bunt by sophomore outfielder Jocelyn Doan (Walnut HS). Macias followed with a deep single to left field that brought home a run, while sophomore third baseman Natalie Basurto (Walnut HS) followed with a single that drove home Macias.

Limiting Pasadena City to just three hits on the day, sophomore pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS) got stronger as the game went on. She gave up a lead-off walk in the first inning, while she saw the Lancers open the second inning with consecutive singles. She didn't let the ball leave the infield after the two hits and struck out pitcher Ivy Avalos to end the inning. From the third inning on, Carranza (21-9) allowed just one hit, while an error gave PCC runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth inning. She got Alysa Rojas to line back to the circle, with Carranza completing the double play when she threw to second base to cut down Alysa Guzman to complete the double play.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, walks to sophomore shortstop Marley Manalo (Walnut HS), sophomore catcher Jimena Velazquez (Fullerton Union HS) and freshman pinch-hitter Isabelle Casanova (Lakewood HS) loaded the bases with two outs. Fontela then grounded to third baseman Alexis Guzman, who threw the ball away, which brought in two runs. The Falcons closed out the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with a pair coming in on a base hit from sophomore first baseman Nadia Landeros (Warren HS/Rio Hondo College). Sophomore designated player Celeste Carbajal (Mayfair HS) ended the game with her RBI single to make it an 8-0 game.

The top four batters in the lineup, Macias, Basurto, Manalo and Landeros each collected a pair of hits and combined to drive in five of the runs on the day.

Photos by Daryl Peterson