Softball: Cerritos secures 5-0 conference win

File Photo: Negasse Williams and the Falcons shut out Pasadena City, 5-0
File Photo: Negasse Williams and the Falcons shut out Pasadena City, 5-0

Holding on to a slim 2-0 lead over Pasadena City College through the first four innings, the Cerritos College softball team added three more runs and posted a 5-0 South Coast Conference win on Friday. The Falcons (19-6, 11-2), ranked #11 in the state, will host a pair of schools at Nancy Kelly Field on Saturday. The team will take on #5 Santa Ana College at 10:30 a.m. and then face Los Angeles Mission College at 2:30 p.m. in their second game of the day.

In their three-run fifth inning, freshman catcher Vicky Najera (El Rancho HS) led off with a base hit and then advanced to third base on a double from freshman third baseman Brooklyn Bedolla (Mayfair HS). Freshman outfielder Negasse Williams (Aliso Niguel HS) followed with an RBI single, and with the bases loaded, freshman pinch-hitter Makayla Torres (Sonora HS) laced a two-run single to give the Falcons a 5-0 lead.

Freshman pitcher Samantha Islas (Roosevelt HS) tossed the first three innings and allowed a pair of hits while striking out two, with freshman Courtney Callison (Santa Fe HS) coming on in the fourth inning. Callison (4-3) went the final four innings and shut out the Lancers the rest of the way on three hits and posted three strikeouts. One of those strikeouts came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Pasadena City loaded the bases. But Callison was able to strike out Gizelle Leyva to escape the jam.

Cerritos opened the scoring in the first inning when Najera reached on a fielder's choice, stole second base and came home on an RBI double from Bedolla. With two outs in the fourth inning, freshman outfielder Alyssa Capps (Downey HS) singled, stole second base and came home when freshman second baseman Alyssa Sotelo (El Rancho HS) clubbed a double.

The Falcons collected 11 hits on the day, with Najera, Bedolla and Williams all finishing with two hits each.