Cerritos baseball team wins 7-4 against Irvine Valley College in the third annual SoCal challenge. The Falcons get their second win in a row and first win at home on Thursday, Feb. 3.
Cerritos started the top of the first inning on defense as the Lasers started at the plate. Starting RHP, freshman No. 9, Jael Leal would be on the mound as his starting catcher would be freshman, No. 28, Daniel Mariscal Jr.
The first inning for the Lasers would result in no runs as the three outs were ground out to freshman, shortstop, No. 15, Andy Vega.
Freshman, left fielder, No.7, Julian Francois would start the bottom of the first for the Falcons with a shot to right field for a triple.
Freshman, infielder, No. 24, Bilal Ali would sacrifice fly to centerfield for Francois to get the go-ahead score putting Cerritos up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
At the top of the second, Lasers’ first baseman No. 25, Casey Kudell would score the first run for the Lasers as No. 2, Bradley Wilkison gets a double on a shot to the left-center gap.
The inning would end on a groundout. Vega would get a triple on a hit to the right-center gap, third baseman, No. 3, Alex Bueno would hit a double to right-center, and collect an RBI as Vega would score putting Cerritos up 2-1.
Mariscal Jr. would get a single through the left-field as Bueno would advance to third base. No. 23, freshman, outfielder, Angel Alvarez would get the base hit recording an RBI as Bueno would score as Mariscal Jr was out at second base on a fielder’s choice.
The Falcons were up 3-1, freshman, outfielder, No. 4, Terril Steen Jr. grounded out for a double play by the lasers.
Alvarez’s singles to center field would get his second RBI as Mariscal Jr. rounded third base and scored.
Falcons up 4-1 at the top of the fifth inning. No runs were recorded throughout the fifth inning, to start the top of the sixth inning, freshman, RHP, No. 45, Noah Perelman relieved Leal.
Perelman shuts out the side to force the end of the inning for the Falcons. Freshman, third baseman, No. 44, Sawyer Chesley opens the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run to center field.
Vega would be walked, Irvine would relieve their pitcher, sending up No. 36, AJ Johnson. Bueno would be walked as Vega advances to second.
Mariscal Jr. would reach first base off a fielding error from Laser’s shortstop, which would leave bases loaded with no outs for the Falcons. Alvarez gets a single as runners advance a base while Vega gets tagged out at home.
Steen Jr. struck out looking at the plate, Johnson then balked, forcing runners to advance a base as Bueno would score, Mariscal Jr. got to third, and Alvarez reached second base.
Francois would be walked, Johnson would be relieved of the mount for the Lasers, Austin Chapman would relieve Johnson. Ali would foul out to end the inning. Cerritos was up 6-1.
Irvine would score three runs at the top of the seventh making it 6-4, Cerritos would be shut out in the bottom of the seventh.
The top of the eighth inning would go without a run for the Lasers. Cerritos would score an unearned run from Alvarez as Chesley was struck by a pitch from Seth Bougher who relieved Chapman in the bottom of the eighth.
Cerritos up 7-4 to start the top of the ninth, freshman, RHP, No. 10, Carter Stoddard would come in to relieve Noah Ortega. Stoddard would shut out the inning and get the save as he struck out the last batter looking.
“A wise man once told me preparation leads to separation,” coach Vic Buttler says, “as we continue to prepare we are able to separate from others around us with preparation, it leads to confidence and confidence leads to success.”
Cerritos will play San Joaquin Delta on Friday, Feb. 4 at home in the Third Annual SoCal Challenge.
