Cerritos College put together a strong all-around performance, shutting out Rio Hondo, 5-0, behind a dominant outing from starting pitcher Owen Waytas.
Waytas was in complete control from the first pitch to the last, tossing a four-hit shutout while striking out 10 and walking three. The right-hander improved to 6-1 on the season, limiting Rio Hondo's opportunities all afternoon and stranding five runners.
After five scoreless innings to start the game, the Falcons broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Peshke ignited the rally, scoring on a Brody Cuellar RBI double to right-center for the game's first run. Moments later, Mateo Heredia stretched the lead to 2-0 with an RBI triple down the right field line, and later crossed the plate to push the lead to 3-0. Cerritos added another run in the inning when Andrew Perez delivered a sacrifice fly, bringing home CJ Berthon to make it 4-0.
The Falcons added insurance in the seventh inning when Peshke launched a solo home run to left field, extending the lead to 5-0.
Offensively, Cerritos tallied 11 hits on the day. Peshke led the way, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Cuellar added two hits and a run driven in. Heredia and Berthon each contributed RBI extra-base hits, finishing with a triple apiece.
Defensively, the Falcons were sharp, turning a key double play to help preserve the shutout.
