Sophomore catcher
Nadine Garcia (Mayfair HS)
had a game she will never forget. Stepping
up to the plate in the most opportune times
in the game, she capitalized on each of
them, as she blasted two grand slams and a
two-run home run to lead the Falcons to a
15-3 non-conference win at Antelope Valley
College on Tuesday afternoon. The three home
runs, two grand slams in one game and 10 RBI
are all single-game school records. The win
by the Falcons, ranked #3 in the state,
improved their record to 34-4 on the season,
while the sixth-ranked Marauders fell to
36-6. Cerritos will now host cross-town
rival Long Beach City College at 3:00 p.m.
on Thursday in a crucial South Coast
Conference game.
Garcia hit her first grand slam in the
top of the first inning and her second one
in the top of the second. In the first,
sophomore outfielder
Capree Williams (Paramount
HS/Bethune Cookman University) led off
with a walk, while sophomore shortstop
Jenel Guadagno (Warren HS)
followed with a base hit. After an out was
recorded, freshman outfielder
Jennifer Salas (California HS)
also singled to load the bases. Garcia, who
entered the game with just one home run and
19 RBI, blasted an 0-1 pitch from Kayly
Kolesar over the center field wall for her
first grand slam.
It
was the same setup in the second inning, as
Williams and Guadagno each singled, while
sophomore pitcher
Jessica Navarro (South Gate HS)
drew a walk. Once again, Garcia drilled an
0-1 pitch, this time over the left field
wall off Kolesar for a bases loaded home
run, which gave the Falcons an 8-1 lead.
Although she struck out in her third
trip to the plate, Garcia stepped up with
Salas on first base and promptly hit her
third home run of the game, which closed out
the scoring for the Falcons.
Not
to get lost in the amazing performance by
Garcia, Guadagno went 4-for-4 with two RBI
and scored three times while Williams
(2-for-5, 3 runs) and Salas (2-for-4 2 runs)
all had good days at the plate. In the
circle, Navarro shut down a potent offense
and limited the Marauders to seven hits and
struck out five to earn the win.
