Huskies baseball defeats No. 17 Cerritos 6-2
MONTEREY PARK, CA — The East Los Angeles College baseball avoided a three-game series sweep against No. 17-ranked Cerritos College with a 6-2 win today at home. The Huskies lost 6-2 and 16-6 to Cerritos earlier this week.
With the win, ELAC, 9-15 overall and 4-5 in the South Coast Conference, is a game out of fourth place in the standings behind LA Harbor (9-15, 5-4). The Huskies knocked Cerritos (14-10, 6-3) from second place into third.
Cerritos outhit the Huskies 7-5, but the Huskies timing was key in the win. Three of the five Husky hits were in the bottom of the second inning.
ELAC freshman designated pitcher Alex Carrillo (West Covina High School) singled and after two outs, sophomore second baseman Johnny Salgado (Whittier HS) walked. Sophomore left fielder Mel Robles (St. John Bosco HS) doubled two RBIs.
Just before the final out, sophomore shortstop Shun Tsunoda (HH Wilson HS) singled in an RBI and suddenly it was 3-0 ELAC.
The Huskies added a run in the third. Freshman center fielder Kelvin Brito (Miami Beach HS) was hit by a pitch then stole second after an out. Carrillo reached second base on a Cerritos error and freshman catcher Ismael Martinez (Ramona HS) flied out to center field. The sacrifice fly scored Brito and it was 4-0 ELAC.
The Huskies added one more run in the fourth off ELAC’s other two singles, one each from Salgado and Tsunoda.
Winning sophomore pitcher Seve Romo (El Dorado HS) scattered nine hits in eight innings of pitching, allowed one run, threw 10 strikeouts and evened his record to 2-2.
Cerritos sophomore outfielder Kenton McDonald (Long Beach Poly HS) tripled in the sixth innings and scored off a sacrifice fly. The Falcons added a run in the ninth inning off a double from sophomore outfielder Fermin Beza (California HS).
In the 3-2 loss to Cerritos, ELAC scored two runs in the first inning. The Falcons rallied with a run in the second and one run in each the sixth and seventh inning for the come from behind win. ELAC sophomore third baseman Ryan Viramontes (West Covina HS) singled three times for the Huskies. Cerritos hit five singles and a double from six different players.
In the 16-6 loss to the Falcons, ELAC was outhit 15-6, fell behind 12-0 and scored three runs each in the eighth and ninth inning sandwiched with three Falcon runs. Viramontes doubled and singled, had one RBI to lead the Husky bats.
ELAC resumes South Coast Conference play with the first of a three-game series against No. 13 Long Beach City College (17-7, 9-0) on Tuesday, April 5 at home beginning at 6 p.m.
The Huskies play at Long Beach on Thursday, April 7 at 2:30 p.m. and close the series with a home game on Saturday April 9 at noon.
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia