Softball: Reanna Carranza voted the conference's Pitcher of the Year

File Photo: Reanna Carranza was voted the conference's Pitcher of the Year
File Photo: Reanna Carranza was voted the conference's Pitcher of the Year

Sophomore pitcher Reanna Carranza (El Rancho HS), who pitched every game of the season for the Cerritos College softball team, was voted the South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. She is the ninth Falcons player to earned the conference's Pitcher of the Year award. Along with being named the conference's Pitcher of the Year, Carranza is automatically selected to the All-State and All-Southern California teams. Carranza is the first Cerritos player to earn All-State recognition since catcher Briana Lopez in 2018 and the first pitcher since Jessica Lozano in 2011.

Joining her on the 1st Team is sophomore outfielder Jazmine Macias (La Mirada HS), while sophomore shortstop Marley Manalo (Walnut HS) and sophomore third baseman Natalie Basurto (Walnut HS) received 2nd Team honors. Garnering Honorable Mention recognition were sophomore catcher Jimena Velazquez (Fullerton Union HS) and sophomore first baseman/outfielder Nadia Landeros (Warren HS/Rio Hondo College).

As for Carranza (28-12), her wins are the second most in the state, while she leads the state with 260 1/3, which are currently the third most in a season in school history. Carranza tossed a no-hitter against Santiago Canyon College and had a one-hitter against El Camino College. As Cerritos gets ready for the Southern California Regional Playoffs, Carranza has a 2.58 ERA and has struck out 115 batters.

Macias, who is closing in on the school record for most stolen bases in a season (48), is second in the state with 45, while she leads the team in batting average (.429), hits (57), doubles (15), runs (48) and is tied for the most walks (23) and home runs (4) while she has only struck out six times all season. She has hits in 16 of her last 17 games heading into the post-season and has recorded 19 multiple-hit games. Additionally, she stole multiple bases in 12 games, which includes swiping four bases twice.

Manalo, who batted .416 in the regular season, leads the team with 43 RBI and shares the team lead with four home runs. She recorded a trio of four-RBI games, which included hitting a grand slam against Santiago Canyon and has 11 multiple RBI games this season. Manalo had a 13-game hitting streak late in the season and has collected at least one hit in 19 of the last 20 games. Basurto, who moved from second base to third base this season, hit .346 on the year with 32 RBI along with 10 doubles. She had a pair of four-RBI games during the season, as well as 15 multiple-hit games.

A 2nd Team all-conference pick as a freshman, Velazquez hit .303 during the regular season and shared the team lead with 23 walks. She also had 12 doubles and 23 RBI on the year, while recording a .981 fielding percentage. Velazquez threw out 11 potential base stealers, as well as picking off multiple runners who strayed too far away from first base. She drove in a season-high four runs in a game and had seven multiple-hit games. A transfer from Rio Hondo College, Landeros hit .344 during the regular season with eight doubles and 16 RBI. Her bat has come alive in the last 12 games and is hitting .488 (21-for-43) during that stretch. She also has 11 multiple-hit games in the final 14 of the season.