The Cerritos College softball team opened their
2010 season by winning their first four games at
the Glendale Tournament, but lost in the
semi-finals to an unexpected opponent. The
Falcons posted wins over Citrus College (3-2),
Los Angeles Pierce College (8-0), Ventura
College (12-0) and Fullerton College (2-0)
before a 6-5 loss to South Coast Conference
opponent East Los Angeles College ended their
chances at winning the tournament. Cerritos
(4-1) was down 6-1, but scored one in the sixth
inning and three in the seventh inning and ended
the game by leaving the bases loaded. The team
will now host Santiago Canyon College at 3:00
p.m. on Monday in their home opener.
In the loss to the Huskies, Cerritos trailed 6-1
after East LA scored five time in the fifth
inning. But in the sixth, freshman
Samantha Garcia (St. Joseph HS)
drove in a run with a bases loaded walk.
However, that was all the offense the team could
generate in the inning after sophomore
Cassandra Godoy (Downey HS)
grounded out to end the threat.
It was more of the same in the seventh inning,
as sophomore Samantha Vaaulu (Warren
HS) opened with a base hit before sophomore
Ashley Ventura (Carson HS)
followed with a fielder's choice. An error on a
ball hit by sophomore Lindsey Marquez
(Gahr HS) allowed one run to score,
while a base bit by sophomore Devin Salmones
(Gahr HS) drove in a second run. A
double play put the inning in jeopardy until
freshman Gabby Villarreal (St. Joseph
HS) drove in a run. After a base hit and a
walk loaded the bases, the game came to a close
when Godoy grounded out.
The tournament opened with the Falcons scoring
three times in the second inning and holding on
for a 3-2 win over Citrus. After Salmones
singled, sophomore Brandi Rummel
(La Serna HS) doubled her home, while a
triple by freshman Natalie Garcia
(Mayfair HS) drove in the second run.
Samantha Garcia singled home the third run, as
sophomore pitcher Hillary Perez-Ashley
(Long Beach Poly HS) withstood a
sixth-inning rally and retired five of the final
six batters to earn the win.
The duo of freshmen Jessica Lozano
(Banning HS) and Villarreal limited LA
Pierce to just two hits, while they combined for
nine strikeouts in an 8-0, five-inning victory.
Marquez got the scoring started with a three-run
home run in the first inning, while freshman
Shawnee Kirk (Lakewood HS)
drove in a pair with a pinch-hit double in the
third inning. In the 12-0 win over the Pirates,
Godoy (3-for-3, 3-run home run), Marquez
(3-for-4, 2-run home run) and Samantha Garcia
(3-for-4) led the way, while Perez-Ashley and
Lozano combined to allow four hits, with
Perez-Ashley earning the win.
A pair of runs in the third inning held up in
the team's 2-0 victory over the Hornets, with
Perez-Ashley allowing just four hits and posting
six strikeouts to get the win. In the third,
Natalie Garcia clubbed a one-out triple, while
Godoy drive her in with a two-out triple. Vaaulu
brought home Goody with a single to close out
the scoring.
