By Pete Moye
Despite leading early in the game, the East Los Angeles College softball team 8-15 overall, 5-7 in the South Coast Conference was defeated by the No. 10 Cerritos College 14-2 this past Thursday.
ELAC lost to Cerritos College by the same score on Feb. 26, giving the Falcons season series win with one game left to play on April 16.
ELAC played in the “Bash at the Beach” tournament against Santa Barbara City College yesterday at Pershing Park. Santa Barbara (9-16, 5-3) entered the tournament on a two-game win streak, but is 4-14 against non-conference opponents.
Huskies pitcher Evangelina Montes dropped to 6-13 on the season taking the loss against Cerritos. Monetes pitched three and 1/3 innings, allowing 10 runs off of nine hits, while walking eight batters.
The Falcons put the game out of reach in the third inning when they scored eight runs.Gina Ayala started the big inning when she hit a double to right center field that cleared the bases.
Husky pitcher Yvette Perez was brought in to close the inning, but not before allowing the two more runs.
The Huskies fell victim to the mercy rule for the sixth time this season. They have not been able to win consecutive wins all season, having won two games in a row twice all season.
ELAC plays in the one of the toughest conference’s in Southern California with three teams ranked in the top 13 in the Southern California poll.
Cerritos pitcher Jamie Ramirez (8-3) was credited with the win after throwing three innings. Ramirez was also productive at the plate. Ramirez had two hits in two plate appearances accounting for five RBIs.
ELAC is in fifth place in SCC play. They are one game ahead of Pasadena City College and two games behind El Camino College. Cerritos (19-8, 10-2) now trails SCC leader Mt. San Antonio College by two games.