Despite several lineup changes, the Cerritos College baseball team kept their hot bats going, as they collected 12 hits and posted a 10-2 South Coast Conference home win over Compton College on Thursday. The win enabled the Falcons (26-13 overall, 17-3 SCC) to maintain their two-game lead over El Camino College, who they host on Saturday at noon, in the first of a home-and-home series. As for the Tartars, they fell to 17-23 and 6-16.

    Just as they did on Tuesday when they beat Compton, 15-7, Cerritos got out to an early lead and rode the strength of their pitching arms to hold onto the lead. The Falcons scored twice in the first inning and added five more in the second to jump out to a 7-0 lead.

    Playing his first game in center field all season, freshman Brandon Pesante (La Mirada HS) was also inserted into the leadoff spot in the batting order. He started the first inning with a base hit to left and field and stole second base. Normally the second baseman, Pesante was moved in place of sophomore Anthony Topete (Norwalk HS), who was nursing an injury. Pesante moved to third base on a single by freshman outfielder Brian Gaylord (La Mirada HS) before sophomore shortstop Jerry Pena (Los Altos HS) drew a walk. A balk by Compton pitcher Shadi Abuhakmeh accounted for the first run, while a base hit by freshman designated hitter George Sanchez (Gahr HS) drove in the second.

    Freshman pitcher Tony Peraza (La Mirada HS) went the first four innings and allowed two runs on five hits, while freshman Steve Blanchette (Schurr HS) finished the final five innings to earn his second win of the year against no losses. During his time on the mound, Blanchette allowed just two hits and struck out six.

    In the second inning, the Falcons had the bases loaded after freshman Pat Radford (Long Beach Wilson HS), taking over at second base, reached on an error, while a double by freshman outfielder David Neff (John Glenn HS) and a walk to Pesante filled the bases. After an RBI walk by Gaylord, Pena drove home two with a base hit, while Sanchez drove in a run with a ground out, with sophomore first baseman Trever Blood (La Mirada HS) tripling home the fifth run of the inning.

    By the end of the game, Pesante was 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored, while Sanchez (2-for-4, 3 RBI) and Pena (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs) all had good games. Turning in his best game of the year was Neff, who had a single, double and triple and scored twice, while the only time he made an out, he drilled a deep fly ball to right field.