After spotting visiting Cuesta College an early 3-0 lead, the Cerritos College softball team came back for a 9-5 non-conference win at Nancy Kelly Field on Friday. The win over the Cougars (12-7) was also a homecoming for head coach Jenel Guadagno, who was a member of the Falcons from 2007-08 and served as a Falcons assistant coach for seven seasons. The Falcons (6-6) will resume South Coast Conference play on Tuesday when they travel to El Camino College for a 3:00 p.m. game.

Cerritos was able to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning when freshman catcher Dominique Jimenez (El Rancho HS) reached base on a fielder's choice. With two outs, freshman second baseman Kara Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) was hit by a pitch, which set the table for sophomore outfielder Itzel Soto (Long Beach Millikan HS). She laced an RBI singled and advanced to second base on the throw to the plate. Sophomore outfielder Haley Davis (Mayfair HS) followed with a two-run double, which tied the game.

Freshman starting pitcher Chasity Martinez (South El Monte HS) allowed three runs on five hits through the first two innings, but settled down over the next four innings. She retired nine batters in a row before a two-out single in the fifth inning and then set down four of the next five batters. Heading into the seventh inning, a walk, two hits and an error prevented her from the complete game, but did earn the win, as sophomore Skyler Swearingen (Mayfair HS) came in to record the final two outs.

The Falcons started to pull away with three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth inning. In the third, freshman shortstop Ariana Gambala (High Tech Media Arts HS) singled, and moved to second base when Jimenez reached on an error. Martinez helped her cause with an RBI single, with Spoolstra keeping the rally going with a base hit. With two outs, sophomore first baseman Brianna Spoolstra (Mayfair HS) singled home another run. The big hit in the fourth inning was a two-out, two-run double by Jimenez.

On the day, both Soto (two runs) and Davis (three RBI) each had a pair of hits, with eight different players collecting at least one hit.

Photos by Daryl Peterson