Getting runners on base was not an issue for the Cerritos College softball team on Tuesday. The Falcons (4-6, 1-5), who had 16 hits on the day, stranded 12 runners, which resulted in an 8-6 South Coast Conference loss to Long Beach City College at Nancy Kelly Field. The team will now host Rio Hondo College in another conference game at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Trailing 8-6 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore first baseman Brianna Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) led off with a single and advanced to third base on an infield single and throwing error off the bat of sophomore Kayla Aros (Torrance HS). The bases were then loaded on an infield single from freshman Aliya Velasquez (Northview HS). On a strange play, freshman Ariana Gambala (High Tech Media Arts HS) lifted a blooper behind the first base bag. Vikings second baseman Alora Murray made a diving stretch at the ball, but it rolled out of her glove. None of the runners took off, so Murray was able to throw to first and get Gambala out, with the other three runners staying put. A tailing fly ball to center field by freshman catcher Dominique Jimenez (El Rancho HS) couldn't bring in a run and a ground out ended the scoring threat.

Cerritos had another chance in the seventh inning when sophomore outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) drew a two-out walk, with Spoolstra singling up the middle for her fourth hit of the game. But both runners could not advance when Aros grounded out to end the game.

In six of the seven innings, the Falcons left runners in scoring position, which included runners on first and third base in the bottom of the first after pushing across a run when LB City started the game with a pair of runs in the top of the stanza. Gambala and Jimenez were left on second and third bases, respectively, in the third inning, as sophomore designated player Sophia Collazo (Paramount HS) flew out for the third out. 

Sophomore outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS) clubbed three doubles and drew a walk in the game, but was left on base twice, while Velasquez went 4-for-4 and also ended an inning on base twice. Velazquez put the Falcons in the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out, two-run single.