A four-run first inning set the tone for Cerritos as the Falcons powered past Mt. San Antonio, 10-5, Tuesday afternoon at Kincaid Field.
Cerritos jumped on the board immediately when Brody Cuellar launched a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning, bringing home Luke Crowder, Jose Perez, and Mateo Heredia to give the Falcons a quick 4-0 advantage.
The Falcons added to their lead in the second inning when Tyler Peshke lined a two-run double, scoring Crowder and Wyatt Ormonde to make it 6-0.
Mt. San Antonio broke through in the third inning on an RBI groundout from Ryan Castro, but Cerritos responded with its biggest inning of the afternoon in the fourth.
Peshke drove in another run with a sacrifice fly before Heredia followed with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Cuellar reached on an error that allowed Perez to score, and another run crossed the plate on a passed ball as Cerritos stretched its lead to 10-1.
Mt. San Antonio attempted a late rally in the seventh inning, capitalizing on an error before Castro delivered a two-run triple down the right field line to cut the deficit to 10-4. The Mounties added another run in the eighth on an RBI single by Frankie Brazil, but the Falcons bullpen held firm the rest of the way.
Cerritos starter Owen Waytas (3-1) earned the victory, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings while striking out three. AJ Gonzalez closed the game with 2.1 innings of relief.
Cuellar led the Falcons offensively, finishing 1-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs. Crowder scored three runs while going 2-for-4 with a walk, and Ormonde collected two hits, including a double and a triple.
