This Week's Sports Schedule

            Looking to stay within striking distance of front-running Long Beach City College in the race for the South Coast Conference title, the Cerritos College baseball team took a hard hit with their 8-7 loss at El Camino on Tuesday afternoon. The Warriors scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, including a three-run home run off sophomore pitcher Brad Schwarzenbach (St. John Bosco HS) to drop the team to 23-13 overall and 12-5 in the conference, while El Camino improved to 17-17-1 and 8-7 in the SCC. Next up for the team will be a rain make-up game at Los Angeles City College on Wednesday.

            At one point, Cerritos led, 4-1, but El Camino scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game. It was a 6-4 Falcon lead until the four-run eighth for El Camino, while Cerritos made a run to tie the game in the ninth inning. Freshman left fielder Andrew Baslow (Chatsworth HS) led off the ninth with a double and came home on a two-out double by sophomore shortstop Scott Patynik (Whittier HS). But sophomore outfielder Phil Van Doren (La Mirada HS) grounded out to second base to end the game.

            Sophomore starter Sheldon McGregor (La Mirada HS) went five innings and allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) before coming out in favor of Schwarzenbach. Prior to allowing the three-run blast, Schwarzenbach had struck out five of the nine batters he faced until a base hit and a walk set the table for the blast.

            On the day, Baslow and freshman catcher Phil Rodriguez (Norwalk HS) had three hits while Patynik (two RBI) and freshman third baseman Jose Serrano (Artesia HS) each had two hits.

            Prior to returning to conference play, the Falcons played three games in the Allan Hancock Tournament, winning twice. The team posted wins over Fresno City College (2-0) and Allan Hancock College (4-3) before suffering an 8-6 setback to Cuesta College.

            In the win over Fresno City, freshman pitcher Robbie Dominguez (El Rancho HS) and Schwarzenbach combined for a six-hitter and combined to strike out 11 batters, including six by Schwarzenbach in three innings to earn his third save of the season. The Falcons scored their two runs in the fourth inning, as Rodriguez led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. After sophomore first baseman Ryan Montgomery (La Mirada HS) and Schwarzenbach each singled to load the bases, a ground ball out by sophomore second baseman Dan Luyben (Lakewood HS) scored the first run, while an error allowed the second run to score.

            After jumping out to a 4-0 lead over the Bulldogs the next day, the team had to hold on to record their 4-3 win, as Van Doren came on in the ninth inning to save his first game for McGregor, who went the first eight innings. Baslow drove in the first of three runs in the second inning in a fielder’s choice, while a bases loaded walk to Serrano and a run-scoring single by Luyben drove in the other two runs. The eventual game-winning run came on another bases loaded walk in the third inning to freshman center fielder Nick Armstrong (Marina HS). From the fourth inning on, Cerritos had just four singles, but rode the pitching of McGregor, who held off a Hancock rally in the seventh, while Van Doren retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.