Softball: Conference win over East LA keeps Falcons in third place

File Photo: Mia Star Miramontes improved to 6-0 in the circle for the Falcons
File Photo: Mia Star Miramontes improved to 6-0 in the circle for the Falcons

Freshman pitcher Mia Star Miramontes (Sierra Vista HS) kept host East Los Angeles College in check all afternoon, as the Cerritos College softball team recorded an 8-2 South Coast Conference win on Friday. The win was the third in a row for the Falcons (17-5, 10-3), who sit in third place in the competitive SCC. They will play their third game in a many days when the Falcons travel to Cypress College (18-4) for a non-conference game at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Miramontes (6-0) tossed the first 6 1/3 innings and limited the Huskies (5-17, 2-9) to two runs on seven hits, while her offense spotted her a 5-0 lead after the first inning. She allowed a two-out single in the second inning when East Los Angeles recorded three of their hits and stranded a pair of runners, while they posted their second run in the third inning. Mirmontes retired seven of the next nine batters she faced until the Huskies loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out. Freshman Tatyana Cortez (La Serna HS) came on and recorded the final two outs of the game on a double play.

At the plate, freshman third baseman Marley Cortez (Gahr HS) and sophomore catcher Vicky Najera (El Rancho HS) opened the game by drawing walks. With one out, sophomore designated player Briana Zarate (Legacy HS/Compton College) walked to load the bases. As error by Huskies pitcher Sophie Priebe allowed the first run to score, which was followed by a two-run single from freshman outfielder Carissa Amaya (El Rancho HS), which also included a throwing error to plate another run, and opened a 4-0 lead. Freshman second baseman Savannah Gonzalez (Whittier HS) closed out the scoring in the inning with an RBI base hit.

Cerritos added single runs in the third inning on an Amaya RBI base hit, as well as in the fourth inning when freshman first baseman Valerie Vasquez (California HS) drove in a run with a single. The Falcons picked up their eighth run of the game in the fifth inning when Gonzalez singled with one out, stole second and third base and then scored on a single from Marley Cortez.