Scoreless through the first four innings against Allan Hancock College, the Cerritos College baseball team scored three times in the fifth inning and went on for a 6-1 win. The victory by the #4-seeded Falcons (33-9) advances them to the Super Regional next weekend, where they will host two other teams in a double-elimination tournament. The series sweep in the first round ended the Bulldgos season at 22-20.

As the highest seed in the three-team bracket, the Falcons will serve as the host, with the first game scheduled for Thursday. That game will feature #5-seeded Glendale College (30-12-1), the champions of Western State Conference South Division against #9-seeded El Camino College (30-12), who finished in third place in the South Coast Conference. Cerritos, seeded #4, will face the loser of that game on Thursday afternoon. The Falcons and Warriors are longtime rivals, with Cerritos taking two of the three games in their series this season. Cerritos head coach Nate Fernley took over the head coaching duties in 2024 after 16 years as the El Camino head coach and has posted a 5-1 mark since taking over the Falcons helm. It will mark the first meeting against the Vaqueros since a 20-6 loss in 2019. Cerritos leads the all-time series against Glendale, 26-20 and holds a 105-60 series edge against El Camino.

In the fourth inning, sophomore catcher Ryan Reyes (Los Alamitos HS) led off with a single, while freshman shortstop Jake Fowler (Los Alamitos HS) battled through his at-bat to draw a walk. Sophomore outfielder Evan Saito (Torrance HS) followed by dropping down a perfect bunt and was able to beat the throw to first base by Allan Hancock third baseman Colin Johnston. With one out, freshman designated hitter Brody Cuellar (Bishop Montgomery HS) laced a bases clearing double to put the Falcons in front, 3-0. Bulldogs starting pitcher Jaiden Turner (6-5) had held the Falcons in check up until that inning and had already recorded seven strikeouts through the first four innings.

Cerritos starting pitcher Derek Valdez (Los Alamitos HS) was able to match Turner by limiting the Bulldogs to just three hits through the first four innings. Valdez (12-2) allowed his only run in the sixth inning when Hancock recorded a pair of two-out hits to drive in their lone run of the series. He went seven innings and scattered eight hits and struck out seven batters before freshman relief pitcher AJ Gonzalez (Gahr HS) came in and retired six of the seven batters he faced. Saito made a diving catch in centerfield for the final out of the game.

In the eighth inning, the Falcons doubled their run total, with sophomore second baseman Dylan Immel (El Segundo HS) and Reyes each recording hits. Fowler was hit by a pitch, which chased Turner after he threw 155 pitches. Cerritos greeted relief pitcher Austin Moccardini with a two-run single by Saito, while freshman outfielder Owen Martin (Narbonne HS) followed with an RBI base hit.

Saito ended the game going 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, while Cuellar had a pair of doubles and was hit by a pitch to account for his three RBI. Reyes had a pair of hits and scored twice, with Fowler reaching base twice and scoring two times. 

Photos by Daryl Peterson