Warriors Fall to Cerrtios on Saturday

TORRANCE, Calif. – El Camino College made a late surge but came up short in a 8-5 South Coast Conference loss to Cerritos Saturday afternoon at Warrior Field.

Diego Alarcon and Spencer Palmer led the Warriors (14-11, 6-4) with three hits and two RBI apiece with Cody Wissler adding two hits.

The Falcons (18-6, 5-4) got multi-hit games from Ramon Bramasco, Michael Gonzalez and Jakob Gonzalez and a quality start from Valentin Flores-Gomez. The right-hander went six and 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out six.

The Warriors jumped out in front in the first inning as Palmer singled to center field, scoring Jordan Folgers from second after he launched a double into the left-center field gap.

Warriors' starter Daniel Alvarez had a good start to the game, retiring the first seven batters he faced. But in the third inning, Jakob Gonzalez ended that streak with a double to left center and then Alvarez issued a walk to put two runners on.

Jorge Rodriguez then reached on an error, allowing the tying run to score and then a single and sacrifice fly compounded the defensive miscue, giving the Falcons a 3-1 lead after three.

The Falcons would pour it on in the next two innings, scoring five more runs to take a commanding 8-1 advantage.

Flores-Gomez kept the Warriors offense off balance through six inning but, in the seventh, Jerry Granillo started a two-out rally as he reached on a hit by pitch. Spencer Long followed with a double and after pinch-hitter Joseph Borges walked, Alarcon came through with a two-run single to left to chip into the deficit.

In the eighth, the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs but came up empty and needed five runs to tie things up in the bottom of the ninth.

Pinch hitter Trevor McInerney led things off with a walk and then Alarcon singled to left. Cerritos closer Edgar Velasquez was summoned to protect the five-run lead but immediately walked Folgers to load the bases.

Palmer came up and singled to right to bring the potential tying run to the plate in Matthew Beserra.

The Warriors' third-baseman smoked a line drive off Velasquez but right at second baseman Jesus Mercado, who caught the ball and then flipped to the shortstop Bramasco who just beat Folgers to the second-base bag and record the double play.

Wissler came up and singled to center to score a run and bring ECC within three, but Velasquez got Jose Ruiz Jr. to ground out to end the game and squash the Warriors late comeback effort.

The Warriors will return to the field Tuesday in non-conference action as they host West Los Angeles at Warrior Field.