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Leading 4-0 after four innings, the Cerritos College
baseball team looked to be on their way to their sixth
win in a row against Irvine Valley College. But, along
the way, they had trouble finding the plate, while the
defense committed three errors, as the Lasers came back
for a 9-5 victory at Kincaid Field in Friday afternoon.
With the loss, the Falcons drop to 6-2 on the year,
while Irvine Valley improves to 4-4. Cerritos will
continue their six-game homestand when they host
Saddleback College at noon on Saturday.
After
scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning,
thanks to a two-run single by freshman third baseman
Chad Ostahowski (Lake Elsinore HS),
along with an RBI single from sophomore outfielder
Anthony Topete (Norwalk HS) and a
sacrifice fly by sophomore first baseman Trever
Blood (La Mirada HS), it seemed as though
the Falcons had things in hand. In addition to their
four runs, they had 10 hits after four innings.
But as
quickly as they went in favor of Cerritos, it
quickly took a 180-degree turn, as the team was
limited to just three hits the rest of the way,
while the Lasers found their hitting stroke.
Freshman starter George Sanchez (Gahr HS)
was chased with two outs in the top of the fifth
inning after he allowed an RBI double to Kory
Burkhart, followed by a two-run double from Abel
Medina. Freshman relief pitcher John Garcia (El
Rancho HS) had a hard time in his three innings
of work, as he surrendered five runs (three earned)
and four hits, as Irvine Valley scored three in the
fifth and two more in the sixth inning. Two Falcon
errors allowed both of the runs in the sixth to come
home.
When
freshman pitcher Steve Blanchette (Schurr
HS) came on in the eighth inning, he inherited
runners at second and third with one out and a 6-4
deficit. After uncorking two wild pitches, the Laser
lead was 8-4 and there was no looking back.
Sophomore
shortstop Jerry Pena (Los Altos HS)
led the team with three hits, while Ostahowski and
freshman outfielder Pat Radford (Long
Beach Wilson HS) each had two hits. |
