Cassandra Godoy led the Falcon softball team to defeat Mt. SAC, 14-1, in the midst of a rainstorm last Saturday to its 14th straight victory convincingly beating the Mounties to lead the conference.
The win landed it a No.1 ranking in state and home-field advantage at the start of the playoffs.
“Our bats came alive today against a really good Mt. SAC team,” head coach Kodee Murray said. “It felt good to go out that way.”
Godoy had a good time going three for four in her at-bats.
“Even though we are not a rival team, it feels like a rival team,” she said. “It’s always just fun playing them.”
However, Murray describes Godoy as not just fun and games on the field.
“She [Godoy] is probably the best short stop in the conference, I think she could be the best short stop in the state,” she said.
Godoy has progressed all season but her most impressive performances have been made in the team’s continuing win streak.
“She has really played outstanding in the last ten games and has really turned a corner in her demeanor and the way she approaches the field.”
The previous games in which that Godoy faced the Mt. SAC bullpen she was shut out and did not land a single hit.
This time it was her turn to prove how she has been progressing during practice.
“The first two times we played them I didn’t do so good,” Godoy stated, “but this game I just felt like I played good very confidently.”
Godoy scored base hits in three of four at-bats to contribute to the victory.
“Going three for four feels pretty good,” she added.
After a run-scoring double by Godoy gave Cerritos a 2-1 lead in the third, Picher Samantha Vaaulu smashed her 14th home run of the season to put the team on top 4-1.
With 10-run fourth inning, the Falcons seemed to seal their fate for the regular season.
Sophomore pitcher Hillary Perez-Ashley kept Mt. SAC to four hits, improving her record to 30-1 on the season.
Unusual circumstances forced the umpires and coaches of both teams to agree to finish the South Coast Conference season in the rain in time for the play-offs.
A larger rainstorm was forecasted for the only days available for a reschedule of the game so both teams had to cope with the precipitation and play the best they could.
The Cerritos team has been so dominating lately however, that they have currently not let any hosted game slip away, rain or shine.
Murray said, “its the first time in 9 years since I’ve been here that we went undefeated at home.”
That was a good feeling, especially when we had to close it out against the No.2 ranked team in the South Coast Conference, Mt. SAC.”
Murray added that Mt. Sac is one of the strongest teams in the state and they will be in there battling it to the end due to their stellar coaching and good players.
She looks forward to possibly facing them again this season.
Outfielder Sammie Garcia feels that with proper preparation, the post season should go well for the Falcons.
“As long as I get my work in the day before, and I really work hard at practice, I’m usually confident,” Garcia stated.
She added that the team is comfortable going into the play-offs but that it doesn’t know what to expect because every year the teams can be different, posing different challenges for Cerritos.
“At the same time, we know what we have to what we have to get done,” she added.
Cerritos College will host the opening of the Southern California Regional Playoffs on Saturday at 2 p.m. against No.16-seeded Chaffey College in a best-of-three series.
