Opening the first round of the 3C2A Regional Playoffs, the Cerritos College softball team used a decisive fifth inning to claim a 6-4 victory over College of the Canyons in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Friday.
Trailing 3-0 through three innings, the Falcons responded with timely hitting in the middle frames, highlighted by a five-run fifth inning that swung momentum in their favor.
College of the Canyons took an early lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Jeniece Jimenez and added another run in the third to build a 3-0 advantage. Cerritos pitcher Tatyana Cortez regrouped in the circle, keeping the Cougars off the board over the next two innings to give the Falcons a chance to rally.
Cerritos got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Luna Villa blasted a solo home run to left-center, trimming the deficit to 3-1. The Falcons then erupted in the fifth, starting with an RBI double from Marley Cortez to make it a one-run game.
Villa followed with an RBI single to even the score at 3-3, setting the stage for Carissa Amaya, who delivered the biggest hit of the game—a three-run double to right field that pushed Cerritos ahead 6-3.
Villa paced the Falcons offensively, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Amaya drove in a team-best three runs, while Isabella Najera added a pair of hits. Marley Cortez contributed with a hit, a run scored, and an RBI.
Cortez went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out four to earn the win and improve to 27-6 on the season.
With the victory, the Falcons take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series and will look to close out the opening round of the 3C2A Regional Playoffs in the next contest.
