Softball Closes Out Season with First Conference Loss in Two Years

TORRANCE, Calif. – El Camino College erased a late deficit but Cerritos went ahead for good in the top of the seventh to hand the Warriors a 6-3 South Coast Conference, South Division loss Tuesday afternoon at the ECC Softball Field.

It's the Warriors' first loss in SCC-South Division play since the conference split into divisions in 2017 and first SCC loss since falling at East Los Angeles, 4-3, on April 12, 2016. It's also the Warriors first home conference loss since Feb. 16, 2016 when they lost 19-3 to Cerritos.

Kayla Hernandez was the main thorn in ECC's side on Tuesday as the third baseman went 2-for-3 with four RBI including the bases clearing three-run double in the top of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and put the Falcons up for good. Overall, the Falcons had five players record multi-hit games and outhit ECC 13-6 on the day.

For the Warriors, six different players recorded a hit with Annie Adamos, Santa Iontchevska and Ashley Machado each had an RBI.

The Warriors jumped out in front early as Adamos smacked an RBI single to right to score Karla Calderon from second base and put ECC up 1-0 after one inning.

It stayed that way until the fourth inning when the Falcons teed off on starter Maisie Weishoff, recording five straight hits to open the inning and score twice to take the lead. It could have been worse but Weishoff got Nicoal Magdaleno to ground into a 4-2-3 double play and then Emma Wolff to foul out to escape the jam.

In the sixth, the Falcons added another run on but again the Warriors defense came up big as Iontchevska threw a runner out at the plate and then was part of a 9-1-5 double play to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Iontchevska showed off the bat as she tripled to right-center to score a run and make it 3-2. Machado then came up and singled to bring in the tying run with one inning to play.

But the Falcons rallied in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs before Hernandez hit a sinking fly ball to left. Kassidy Robinson charged but could not make the play and all three runs scored as the ball got past the Warriors outfielder.

The Warriors got one runner on base in their half of the seventh but came up empty.

The team finishes the 2018 regular season with a 31-9 overall record and 11-1 mark in SCC-South Division play to claim their second straight conference title and third in the last four seasons.