Softball: Loss to East LA drops team to 0-3 in conference

File Photo: Aliya Velasquez had two hits for the Falcons
File Photo: Aliya Velasquez had two hits for the Falcons

After the first inning, the Cerritos College softball team held a 3-0 lead over East Los Angeles College on Tuesday at Nancy Kelly Field. However, the Huskies responded with a seven-run second inning and went on to an 11-7 South Coast Conference win. The loss dropped the Falcons to 3-4 overall, but more importantly, they fell to 0-3 on conference play. The team will look to rebound from their three-game losing skid on Thursday in a 3:00 p.m. conference game at Compton College. It will be the first of five straight road games for Cerritos.

In the bottom of the first inning, sophomore outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) led off with a solo home run to get the Falcons on the board. A walk to sophomore third baseman Kayla Aros (Torrance HS) was followed by a Huskie error that put sophomore outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) on base. A walk to freshman shortstop Ariana Gambala (High Tech Media Arts HS) loaded the bases, where freshman catcher Dominique Jimenez (El Rancho HS) and freshman second baseman Aliya Velasquez (Northview HS) drove in runs with singles.

East Los Angeles received a grand slam by Eliza Flores off sophomore starting pitcher Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS), who didn't make it out of the second inning. She surrendered two home runs in the inning, while the Huskies hit three round-trippers on the day.

The Falcons made a move to get back into the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, freshman Chasity Martinez (South El Monte HS), who took over in the circle, drew a walk. She advanced to second base on an error, with Velasquez driving in a run with a base hit. Sophomore outfielder Erica Martinez (Kennedy HS) drove in the team's final two runs with a double.