Cruising to what looked like another solid pitching and hitting performance on Saturday, the Cerritos College baseball team was shocked by Los Angeles Pierce College, who hit a ninth inning grand slam and came away with a 5-4 win. Playing in the championship game of the SoCal Challenge, the Falcons (4-1) were leading comfortably, 4-1 with just three outs remaining to lock down the win at Kincaid Field. However, the Brahmas (4-1) took advantage of an error and walk, which both came home on the one-out grand slam off the bat of Jonathan Bogacz.

Freshman starting pitcher Nolan Patterson (Long Beach Millikan HS) tossed six solid innings, as he allowed one run on three hits and struck out four batters. Freshman Jake Fowler (Los Alamitos HS) came on in relief and retired the six first batters he faced. Opening up the top of the ninth inning, sophomore second baseman Dylan Immel (El Segundo HS) booted the lead-off ground ball by Christian Santiago, who started the rally for LA Pierce. After a single and out were recorded, Fowler walked Jeremiah Jones, which loaded the bases.

Fowler was replaced on the mound and moved to third base, as freshman Mateo Heredia (El Segundo HS) came in to close the game from his third base position. He saw his 1-1 offering to Bogacz clear the left field fence and the lead was gone. Cerritos went down in order in the bottom of the ninth inning to suffer their first loss of the season.

A play that turned out to be crucial was the Falcons inability to drive in freshman first baseman Wyatt Ormonde (Long Beach Millikan HS) from third base after he led off with a triple in the eighth inning. 

Freshman outfielder Owen Martin (Narbonne HS) led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1, while Ormonde drove in a pair of runners in the third inning. After the first two batters were retired, sophomore outfielder Evan Saito (Torrance HS) drew a walk, which was followed by a single from freshman designated hitter Brody Cuellar (Bishop Montgomery HS). That was followed by the Ormonde double, while Cuellar scored the team's fourth run in the sixth inning.

He led off by reaching on an error and after walks to Immel and Heredia, sophomore catcher Daniel Cuadras (Warren HS/Golden West College) drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

The Falcons will now travel to Bakersfield College for a three-game series starting on Thursday.

Photos by Daryl Peterson