Bracket

For the third season in a row, the Cerritos College softball team will open the Southern California Regional Playoffs against Los Angeles Mission College. The first two times they faced each other, the Falcons served as the host, as they were the higher seeded team. This year, the Eagles will be the host, as they were seeded #8, while Cerritos was seeded #9. The games will be played at Ray Whitten Field, wich is located on the campus of College of the Canyons because LA Mission does not have a softball field on their campus.

The Falcons have won 10 of the 11 games against LA Mission, including a pair of wins this season. The winner of the series will take on #1-seeded Fullerton College, who shut out both Cerritos and LA Mission this season. Last year, the Falcons defeated the Hornets in the second round of the playoffs to advance to the 3C2A State Championships.

On the year, the Falcons went 28-12 and finished in fourth place in the South Coast Conference, while LA Mission posted a 25-13 record and were the champions of the Western State Conference South Division.

Back on April 13, Cerritos recorded 7-3 and 7-6 victories over the Eagles, with the second game a walk-off winner. Trailing, 5-3 heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Eagles were able to score three times to take a 6-5 advantage. A leadoff walk was followed by a single, an RBI double and then a two-run single. However, sophomore pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS) was able to prevent them from extending their lead by getting the next three batters out without the ball leaving the infield. Needing a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the game, the Falcons were able to do more than that. Sophomore outfielder Jocelyn Doan (Walnut HS) led off the inning with a walk, while a double by sophomore outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) that dropped inside the left field line put runners at second and third with no outs. Sophomore third baseman Natalie Basurto (Walnut HS) loaded the bases with a walk before sophomore shortstop Marley Manalo (Walnut HS) won the game with a single into short center field. On the final play of the game, Macias came around third to try and score and was looked to be out by five feet on a throw by Eagles outfielder Deja Rubio. However, LA Mission catcher Jasmine Villegas dropped the ball and Macias was able to get around her and score the game-winning run.

On the day, Manalo went 4-for-7 with two home runs and seven RBI.

The Falcons are led by South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year Carranza, who has started every game in the circle, as well as 1st Team All-SCC selection Macias. Along with batting .429, Macias has 45 stolen bases on the year and is closing in on the school's single-season record of 48 swipes by CaPree Williams in 2008. Manalo (.416, 4 HR, 43 RBI) and Basurto (.346, 32 RBI) were 2nd Team picks, with Velazquez (.303, 26 RBI, .981 fielding percentage) and sophomore first baseman Nadia Landeros (Warren HS/Rio Hondo College), who is batting .344, were Honorable Mention selections.

LA Mission is led by Jayleen Piedra (.386, 4 HR, 29 RBI), Vivian Little (.383, 4 HR, 29 RBI), Villegas (.339, 5 HR, 30 RBI), Natalie Ascencio (.378, 23 RBI) and Sevannah Miller (.330, 25 RBI) at the plate, while they have rotated their pitching. Little, who went 15-8 with 122 strikeouts in 128 innings and Ascencio was 10-4 with 58 strikeouts in 107 innings. They each pitched a complete game in the double header against the Falcons and each absorbed a loss.