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Photo by
Juan Velez.
Ashley Ventura scored a two-run home
run in the second inning to help Cerritos
defeat Ventura 8-4 in playoff action. |
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Using the former
Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver's approach to
winning baseball games, the Cerritos College
softball team relied on a pair of three-run home
runs and a two-run shot to post an 8-4 Southern
California Regional Playoff win over Ventura College
on Saturday afternoon at Nancy Kelly Field. The
Falcons (36-9-1), who are seeded #2 in the playoffs,
hold a 1-0 best-of-3 series lead over the Pirates
(25-19), with the second game slated for noon on
Sunday. A third game will be played 30 minutes after
the conclusion of the second game, if necessary.
Freshman first
baseman
Ashley
Ventura (Carson HS) opened the
scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the
second inning off Ventura pitcher Cyanna Navarro.
With one out and freshman second baseman
Lindsey
Marquez (Gahr HS) on third
base, Ventura launched her fourth home run of the
season over the left-center field fence.
The Pirates were
able to tie the game in the top of the third inning
after they loaded the bases on a pair of singles and
a walk. With two outs, Shianne Sharp singled in a
run, while Marquez mishandled a ground ball by Alina
Flowers, which allowed another run to score. Falcon
freshman pitcher
Hillary Ashley-Perez (Long Beach
Poly HS) ended the inning when she struck out
Vanessa Barretto.
In the fifth
inning, freshman outfielder
Devin
Salmones (Gahr HS) led off
with a double, while sophomore third baseman
Desiree
Miera (Downey HS) followed
with a base hit. After two outs were recorded,
freshman catcher
Samantha
Vaaulu (Warren HS) blasted an
0-1 offering from Navarro that easily cleared the
left-center field wall for her school-record 16th
home run. The Falcons closed out the scoring in the
sixth inning when Miera blasted a three-run home run
that plated pinch-runner
Gina
Alcaraz (Torrance HS) and
Salmones. It was the third home run of the season
for Miera.
On the day,
Salmones and Miera led the team with a pair of hits
each, while the other seven starters had one hit
apiece. Perez-Ashley (26-5) picked up the win after
striking out 10 batters and allowing eight hits.
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