Sophomore pitcher Derek Valdez (Los Alamitos HS) tossed a four-hit gem against visiting Compton College to lead the Cerritos College baseball team to a 4-0 victory on Tuesday. With the win, the Falcons improve to 26-5 overall and are 14-2 in South Coast Conference play. The two teams meet up at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday in Compton for the second of their three-game series.
Valdez (9-0), who also leads the state in wins, threw just 98 pitches on the day and kept the Tartars (11-17, 7-9) off balance. He retired the first nine batters of the game before surrendering a leadoff single in the top of the fourth inning. He allowed a pair of singles in the sixth inning, but got Jalen Ringwood to hit into a fielder's choice for the final out. Valdez also lowered his season ERA to a minuscule 1.61 with the complete game shutout.
At the plate, Cerritos scored the only run they would need in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore outfielder Nico Briones (Long Beach Millikan HS) led off with an infield single and advanced to third on a one-out double by freshman catcher Alonso Reyes (Culver City HS). Freshman outfielder Isaiah Rios (St. John Bosco HS) then singled home Briones for a 1-0 lead. Sophomore shortstop DJ Massey (Gahr HS/Central Arizona College) got things going in the fifth inning, as he was hit by a pitch and then stole second base. Reyes was then hit by a pitch and the two pulled off a double-steal to put runners on second and third. Rios then drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 advantage.
Holding on to that 2-0 lead late in the game, the Falcons doubled their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rios, who went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, led off with a single and moved to second base on a single by freshman second baseman Dylan Immel (El Segundo HS). The bases were loaded after a single from sophomore third baseman Anthony Bassett (Colegio Bautista de Managua, Nicaragua/Los Angeles Harbor College). Sophomore designated hitter Lucas Iorgulescu (Marina HS) followed by driving in a pair of runs with a single down the left field line to close out the scoring.
April 28, 2024
Baseball: Cerritos earns #1 seed for SoCal Regional Playoffs
April 18, 2024
Baseball: Missed chances end in 2-1 loss
April 10, 2024
Baseball program mourns the loss of Don Sneddon
April 2, 2024
Baseball: Derek Valdez tosses four-hit gem in 4-0 win
March 29, 2024
Baseball: Pitching effort leads Falcons to 4-1 win
March 27, 2024
Baseball: Falcons hold on for 5-3 win
March 26, 2024
Baseball: Cerritos posts 9-4 win over LA Mission
March 23, 2024
Baseball: Winning streak comes to an end with one-run loss
March 21, 2024
Baseball: Falcons turn early deficit into 10-2 victory
March 19, 2024
Baseball: Late-inning runs allow Falcons to post win
March 16, 2024
Baseball: Falcons post third sweep in a row after 5-1 win
March 9, 2024
Baseball: Walk-off win completes sweep over El Camino
March 7, 2024
Baseball: Extra innings needed to extend winning streak
March 5, 2024
Baseball: Falcons extend winning streak with 5-2 win
March 4, 2024
Baseball: Six-run first inning holds up in 7-1 win
February 29, 2024
Baseball: Big innings lead Falcons to 16-2 conference win
February 27, 2024
Baseball: Cerritos earns 6-5 win over LA Harbor
February 24, 2024
Baseball: Falcons win series against Rio Hondo
February 22, 2024
Baseball: Bats come to life in 16-2 win over Rio Hondo
February 21, 2024
Baseball: Conference opener ends in tough 3-1 loss
February 17, 2024
Baseball: Pitching and defense leads Cerritos to 3-1 win
February 15, 2024
Baseball: Team opens early lead, but loses it in setback
February 14, 2024
Baseball: Stellar pitching performance leads Cerritos to win
February 10, 2024
Baseball: Falcons pick up series win after 7-3 victory
February 9, 2024
Baseball: Cerritos evens series with 9-4 win
February 8, 2024
Baseball: Early run support unable to hold up in 6-4 loss
February 3, 2024
Baseball: Pitching and timely hitting continue to lead Cerritos
February 2, 2024
Baseball: Falcons shut out second opponent in a row.
January 31, 2024
Baseball: Duo combines for shutout in Falcons 7-0 victory
January 30, 2024
Baseball: Pistons firing on all cylinders in 15-1 win over Desert
January 27, 2024
Baseball: Team rebounds against Fullerton for 8-3 win
December 17, 2023
Baseball: Former Falcon to be inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame