On the strength of their 10-3
win at Mt. San Antonio College
on Thursday, the Cerritos
College baseball team clinched
sole possession of first place
in the South Coast Conference
for the first time since the
2003 season. Last year, the
Falcons were the tri-champions
and the title marks the 30th
conference championship in
school history. Cerritos (28-14
overall, 19-4 SCC) will close
out the regular season on Friday
at 2:30 p.m. when they host the
Mounties (19-24, 13-10) again.
The first round of the Southern
California Regional Playoffs
will start May 9-10 and the
pairings will be announced on
Sunday.
In the win on
Thursday, the Falcons scored
runs in six of the nine innings
and pounded out 14 hits, while
the duo of freshmen
Steven Blanchette (Schurr
HS) and
Jay Heirigs (Rocklin
HS) combining to limit Mt.
SAC to three runs, although they
collected 12 hits on the day.
Blanchette (3-0) earned the win
by going the first five innings,
while Heirigs tossed the final
four innings.
Offensively,
the team was led by sophomore
first baseman
Trever Blood (La
Mirada HS), who went 3-for-5
with two RBI, including a
two-run home run in the fifth
inning, his eighth on the year.
In addition to Blood, freshmen
catcher
Mario Romero (Gahr HS)
also had three hits and drove in
two runs, while freshman
outfielder
Brian Gaylord (La
Mirada HS), sophomore
shortstop
Jerry Pena (Los Altos
HS) and freshman third
baseman
Jared Olsen (Sonora
HS) all collected two hits.
Leading 3-1
heading into the top of the
fifth inning, the Falcons scored
three runs, with the big blow
being the two-run shot by Blood.
The inning started when Pena was
hit by a pitch with one out.
After advancing to second base
on a failed pick-off attempt,
freshman designated hitter
George Sanchez (Gahr
HS) singled him home. Blood
followed with his home run.
After sophomore outfielder
Anthony Topete (Norwalk
HS) collected an RBI on a
ground out in the sixth inning,
Olsen and Romero each collected
RBI singles.
