The Cerritos College softball team displayed their explosive hitting against Santa Ana College in a non-conference game on Thursday afternoon, but waited until the top of the eighth inning to do so. After allowing the Dons to score the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a passed ball, the Falcons (7-0) scored five times in the eighth inning and came away with a 7-3 victory. The team will now compete in the Green and Gold Tournament at Bill Barber Park in Irvine over the weekend.

    In the all-important eighth inning, sophomore second baseman Vanezza Martin Del Campo (St. Joseph HS) led off the a double. After an out was recorded, sophomore catcher Nadine Garcia (Mayfair HS) singled, with Martin Del Campo moving to third base. Sophomore designated hitter Charlee Cox (Warren HS) then broke the tie with an RBI single, followed by a two-run double from freshman outfielder Carli Walters (Cathedral City HS). Sophomore outfielder Capree Williams (Paramount HS/Bethune Cookman University) followed with an RBI single and was then ruled out at first base when she left too early on a pitch. With two outs, sophomore shortstop Jenel Guadagno (Warren HS) doubled and came home on a base hit by sophomore pitcher Jessica Navarro (South Gate HS).

    The Dons (2-2) did get one run back in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough, as Navarro withstood 13 hits in the circle and saw Santa Ana leave 11 runners on base. She set them down with runners at first and second in the first and third innings, while Navarro got the Dons to ground out in the fourth inning with the bases loaded.

    Cerritos took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Guadagno reached base on a error, stole second base and then scored on a base hit by sophomore first baseman Stephanie Lomeli (Montebello HS). It was a 2-0 lead for the Falcons in the third after Guadagno (2-for-4, three runs) led off the a single, stole second base and then scored when Navarro (2-for-5, two RBI) drove her in with a single.