The Cerritos College softball team won their first state tournament game since 1978 when they won the championship, as they defeated Sacramento City College, 2-0, in the opening round of the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletes State Softball Championships, which is being held at Big League Dreams Park in Chino Hills. With the win, the Falcons (35-9-1), the #4-seeded team from the south, will now played the south's #2-seed, Cypress College, at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As a result of their loss, Sacramento City (47-7), the #1-seeded team from the north, drops into the loser's bracket.
In the win, Cerritos picked up both of their runs in the top of the third inning, while freshman pitcher Jessica Navarro (South Gate HS) earned the win by allowing just five hits and struck out six in the game. The win was her 30th of the season, which extends her single-season school record.
In the third, freshman catcher Nadine Garcia (Mayfair HS) walked and then advanced to third base on a throwing error by Panther left fielder Breanna Canclini after Navarro flew out for the second out. Canclini tried to cut down Garcia, but the throw got away and went in the dugout, allowing her to move to third base. That set up a run-scoring double off the left field wall by freshman second baseman Vanezza Martin Del Campo (St. Joseph HS), which gave Cerritos a 1-0 lead. Martin Del Campo then moved to third on a passed ball and came home on a throwing error by Sac City catcher Cindy Oseguera on the same play.
The two runs was all Navarro needed, as she allowed just five hits and got out of a potential jam in the bottom of the third inning. After Laeha Hill singled with one out, Navarro got Oseguera on strikes, while Garcia threw down to second base to cut down Hill for an inning ending double play. The Panthers didn't get a runner as far as second base the remainder of the game.
On the day, Martin Del Campo had both of the team's hits.
