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NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW
By Loren Kopff
The Cerritos baseball team, which began the season on a six-game winning streak, is concluding the regular season on a similar roll. The Dons blasted host Artesia 12-6 this past Tuesday as senior Ian Rosenberg yielded four hits through six innings of work.
The Dons improved their record to 16-11 overall, 5-6 in the Suburban League and went into its May 14 regular season finale one game behind Bellflower for fourth place. With the score tied 2-2 after three innings, Cerritos put the game away with three runs each in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. A bases-loaded single from junior center fielder Tyler Beyer plated junior shortstop Kyle Suezaki for a 3-2 lead.
In the next inning, junior catcher Erik Gomez and junior left fielder Nicholas Sur had back to back run-scoring doubles and senior pinch hitter Kevin Howes added a run-scoring hit as Cerritos increased its lead to 8-2. The Dons would add three more runs in the seventh.
Beyer and senior second baseman Jacob Santos each had two hits while Suezaki scored four times and Sur touched home plate three times.
Artesia senior shortstop Javier Vasquez went three for four and drove in a pair of runs while senior Jose Rivera went the distance for the second straight time. The Pioneers fell to 4-21 overall, 1-10 in league, their worst mark since going 3-22-1 in 2008.
In other baseball action, Gahr remained in contention for a San Gabriel Valley League title after slamming Lynwood 14-1 this past season. The Gladiators, who visited Lynwood on May 14, improved to 19-11 overall, 7-2 in league and have won 11 of their last 15 games. One more win would mark the third straight 20-win season and five out of the last seven.
John Glenn posted a 4-1 win at Bellflower this past Tuesday to clinch no worse than its first Suburban League title since 1990. Senior pitcher Victor Sanchez improved to 9-1 on the hill as the Eagles improved to 17-8, 9-2. Glenn hosted Bellflower on May 14.
Norwalk lost to Cerritos 2-0 this past Monday to conclude its season at 6-14, 2-10 while Valley Christian locked down second place in the Olympic League after its 6-2 home win against Whittier Christian this past Tuesday night. Freshman pitcher Brett Garcia scattered seven hits in a complete game performance, his second straight and third of the season. The Crusaders (16-10, 5-6) visited Whittier Christian this past Wednesday.
SOFTBALL
Gahr blanked Dominguez 19-0 this past Tuesday as sophomore pitcher Naomi Dickerson and freshman Dani Martinez combined on a no-hitter. Gahr (21-7, 8-1) visited Lynwood on May 14 and will enter the playoffs as co-San Gabriel Valley League champions with Warren for the second straight season.
When John Glenn defeated Artesia 3-1 on May 6, the Lady Eagles were still alive for a potential playoff berth. But a loss to the Pioneers two days later, plus a doubleheader loss at Corona last Saturday eliminated the Lady Eagles from going to the postseason for the first time since 1990. A win over Bellflower on May 14 will give Glenn (9-14, 5-6) its most league wins in over 18 years. Glenn has not won five league games since 2004.
Valley Christian’s dreams of winning an Olympic League title were dashed when a 7-0 lead evaporated into a 12-7 home loss to Maranatha this past Tuesday. Maranatha scored all 12 runs in the top of the seventh. The Lady Crusaders would then fall to Whittier Christian 7-6 this past Wednesday and will enter the playoffs with a 12-13 overall record, 5-3 in league,
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Cerritos swept St. Anthony 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 this past Tuesday night in a California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division IV first round match. The Dons visited Tustin on May 14 and a win will have Cerritos hosting either Crean Lutheran or fourth ranked Santa Ynez on Saturday.
Whitney earned a 25-21, 25-12, 25-22 road win over Norwalk this past Monday in a wild card match, but lost to top ranked Saddleback Valley Christian 25-17, 25-12, 25-15 this past Tuesday.
BOYS TENNIS
Cerritos, the fifth-ranked team in Division III blanked Torrance 18-0 this past Wednesday in a first round match. The Dons will host either Temecula Valley or travel to Centennial/Corona today. Also in the division, Norwalk lost to Kennedy 9-9 (81-71 in games) this past Tuesday in a wild card match.
Also in a wild card match, Valley Christian fell to Orcutt Academy 9-9 (75-65) in Division IV action this past Tuesday.
