Softball: Winning streak extended after 5-2 win

File Photo: Maddy Guillen doubled home a pair and saw time in the circle in the win over Rio Hondo
File Photo: Maddy Guillen doubled home a pair and saw time in the circle in the win over Rio Hondo

With the Southern California Regional Playoffs less than two weeks away, the Cerritos College softball team found an opportunity to use four of their pitchers in their 5-2 South Coast Conference win at Rio Hondo College on Tuesday. Winners of eight games in a row and 13 of their last 15, the Falcons (25-12, 17-5) opened an early 2-0 lead and after the Roadrunners got as close as 3-2, scored two more late-inning runs to secure the victory. Cerritos closes out their regular season tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. against Pasadena City College in another rescheduled rain-out game.

Freshman Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS) started the game and tossed the first two innings while allowing three hits. She worked out of a first and third with no outs situation in the first inning and after giving up a leadoff single in the second inning, shut down Rio Hondo to get out of the inning.

The Falcons opened the game's scoring in the first inning when sophomore second baseman Alyssa Sotelo (El Rancho HS) and freshman outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS) slapped out singles to get the inning started. Sophomore first baseman Richere Leduc (California HS) singled home Sotelo and when Rio Hondo held Leduc to a single, it allowed Macias to come home with the second run.

It became a 3-0 lead when sophomore shortstop Miranda Diaz (California HS) brought home a run with a bases loaded walk after the Falcons hit three singles to load the bases. The Roadrunners got two of the runs back against sophomore relief pitcher Courtney Callison (Santa Fe HS), who didn't make it through the inning. Sophomore Maddy Guillen (La Puente HS) was brought in to register the final two outs of the inning. She stepped aside for sophomore Samantha Islas (Roosevelt HS) in the fourth inning after the Roadrunners put runners on second and third with one out. Islas, who won her seventh game in the last nine days, got the final two outs of the inning.

Islas (16-5) surrendered four hits in her 3 2/3 innings, but did not allow any runs.

Guillen added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth inning when she doubled home freshman catcher Jimena Velazquez (Fullerton HS) and freshman outfielder Marley Manalo (Walnut HS) who reached base with two outs.

Macias and Leduc each had three hits in the win, while Sotelo, Velazquez and sophomore third baseman Brooklyn Bedolla (Mayfair HS) each had a pair of hits.