Seventh-inning rally comes up short as LBCC edged 4-3 by Cerritos

The Long Beach City College softball team couldn't complete a seventh-inning comeback and dropped a narrow 4-3 South Coast Conference game to visiting Cerritos College on Thursday at LBCC.

Long Beach left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, stranding the potential game-tying run at third base.

But it was the Vikings that held the early lead in Thursday's contest after they rallied for a pair of two-out runs in the third inning off Cerritos starter Jamie Ramirez.

Freshman Cassie Demers (Mary Star of the Sea HS) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Rayleen Pallan (California HS). Sophomore Melissa Yepez (Paramount HS) followed with a single to move Demers to third. After a line out by freshman Mary Gonzales (Banning HS), freshman Amanda Sandoval came up with the clutch hit. She laced a double down the left-field line to drive in Demers and Yepez and give the Vikings the 2-0 lead.

Sophomore Natalie Ayala had held Cerritos to just one hit over the first three innings but finally ran into trouble when Cerritos put together a two-out rally of its own in the top of the fourth. Ariana Mejia drew a one-out walk before Haley Whitney flew out to right field. With two outs, Krystal Purkey hit a two-run homerun to left to tie the game.

But the Falcons weren't done. Jamie Ramirez followed with a double and moved to third on a bunt single by Arianna Hernandez. With runners at first and third, Cerritos was able to pull off the double steal as pinch runner Roxanna Jensen scored the go-ahead run.

Cerritos added a crucial insurance run in the top of the seventh. Mejia, who had walked three times and been pitched around by the Vikings all game, finally got a pitch she could handle. She smacked a solo homerun over the left-centerfield fence to give the Falcons a two-run advantage heading into the final frame.

In the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Victoria Padilla (Paramount HS) drew a leadoff walk that was followed by a pinch-hit single by Jessica Rayas (Millikan HS). Pallan once again laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. Yepez then came through with a single to left to score pinch runner Alyssa Rayas (Millikan HS) and get LBCC within one.

But Long Beach would get no closer. Ramirez got Gonzales to foul out for the second out of the frame. Sandoval, who was 3 for 3 with 2 RBI in the contest, was then intentionally walked to load the bases for sophomore Melyssa Rivas (Santa Fe HS). Rivas nearly won the game with a hard ground ball that went just foul down the right-field line. But Ramirez got Rivas to strike out looking to end the threat and the game.

Ayala took the loss for LBCC after allowing four runs and seven hits in the complete-game effort. She struck out three and walked four. Yepez had a good game at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a run and RBI.

For Cerritos (13-5, 9-1 SCC), Hernandez and Ramirez both had two hits. Ramirez also picked up the win as she allowed three runs and five hits over seven innings.

Long Beach, now 10-10 overall and 5-5 SCC, returns to action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to Santa Barbara City College for a 12 pm non-conference game.