Softball Loses Heartbreaker to Cerritos in Eleven Innings

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College suffered a 4-3 South Coast Conference loss to visiting Cerritos in 11 innings on Saturday afternoon at the ECC Softball Field.

For the Warriors (20-16, 9-11), it was the team's second 11-inning game in eight days and their sixth extra-inning game of the season overall. They are now 1-5 in those games and have lost five in a row in extras after winning their first game of extras back on Feb. 1 at L.A. Mission.

The Falcons (24-12, 16-5) won their sixth straight game on Saturday and swept the season series against the Warriors this year with two of those wins coming this week.

The game was well pitched on both sides as with Skylar Sanchez going the distance for the Warriors. Through the first seven innings, Sanchez allowed just three hits and only one hit after the Falcons scored two runs in the opening frame.

The Warriors scored in the bottom of the first on a leadoff triple by Kayla Inzunza and then a sacrifice fly by Malia Martin to make it 2-1 after one.

It stayed that way until the fifth inning when Viviana Tamayo led off the frame with a walk, putting an end to Reanna Carranza's day in the circle. Reliever Samantha Islas entered and proceeded to throw the ball away on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Madilyn Radeke, allowing the runners to get on second and third with no outs.

One runner was erased when Tamayo tried to score on a passed ball but catcher Jimena Velazquez got the ball back to Islas covering home in time to tag out Tamayo. But Radeke advanced to third on the play and then proceeded to score on a sacrifice fly to right field by Emily Esparza.

Neither team scored in the sixth or seven to send the game to extras and in the eighth, the Falcons got a two-out RBI single from Brooklyn Bedolla to break the tie.

But the Warriors answered right back in the bottom of the inning as, down to their last out, Martin came through again as she singled to left to plate Inzunza from second base and tie things back up at 3-3.

In the 10th, the Warriors had a chance to score the win as Esparza led off with a walk and then Inzunza was hit by a pitch with one out to put the game-winning run in scoring position.

Leesa Parral then laced a single to left but left-fielder Marley Manalo picked the ball up on one hop and then fired the ball to the plate, beating pinch-runner Haile Torres to the dish to record the second out of the inning. Martin then popped up to end the threat.

The Falcons then took advantage of a Warriors miscue in the 11th to take the lead as Miranda Diaz singled to center with a runner on first. But Parral overran the ball and it got past her and all the way to the wall, allowing Bedolla to score from first with the go-ahead run.

The Warriors had one last chance in their half of the inning as they got runners on second and third with two outs but pinch-hitter Destiny Ostorga lined out to first to end the game.

The Warriors will return to action on Monday afternoon as they host East Los Angeles for a 3 p.m. first pitch.