Baseball: Second game in as many days gets away from Cerritos

File Photo: Evan Saito hit a three-run home run for the Falcons against LB City
File Photo: Evan Saito hit a three-run home run for the Falcons against LB City

For the second day in a row, the Cerritos College baseball team was on the verge of completing a comeback against visiting Long Beach City College at Kincaid Field. And, for the second game in a row, the Vikings got to the Falcons bullpen and came away with a win.

Trailing 4-3 after leading most of the game, 3-0, Cerritos received a three-run home run from sophomore outfielder Evan Saito (Torrance HS) to go up, 6-4 after seven innings. However. LB City would score three times in the top of the eighth inning off freshman relief pitcher AJ Gonzalez (Gahr HS), including a two-out, two-run home run from Aaron Mingo, which turned out to be the eventual game-winning runs. Mingo opened the game as the starting pitcher for the Vikings and would drive in three of their runs.

Even after the home run from Saito in the seventh inning, Cerritos collected two more hits in the inning, but hit into a double play. In the ninth inning, sophomore outfielder Diego Orozco (Long Beach Wilson HS) led off with a walk, with freshman pinch-runner Tiery Smith (Los Alamitos HS) stealing second base and moved to third base on a wild pitch. But Vikings relief pitcher Benjain Dorantes finished off the game by striking out three straight batters, with the Falcons striking out nine times on the day.

Cerritos took a 3-0 lead in the first inning when freshman outfielder Owen Martin (Narbonne HS) and Orozco each drew walks. A fielder's choice cut down Orozco, but a throwing error allowed Martin to score. Freshman designated hitter Brody Cuellar (Bishop Montgomery HS) followed with an RBI triple, while freshman first baseman Wyatt Ormonde (Long Beach Millikan HS) plated the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore starting pitcher Noah Andrunas (Gahr HS/UC Riverside), who was looking for his eighth win in as many starts, kept the Vikings off the scoreboard through the first six innings. However, he allowed three hits and a hit batter before a fielding error by second baseman Dylan Immel (El Segundo HS) brought in the tying run and set the table for the go-ahead run. Andrunas pitched 6 2/3 innings while allowing four runs (two earned) and struck out seven.

Cuellar went 3-for-5 on the day with an RBI, while Orozco drew two more walks and reached base three times for Cerritos.