CULVER CITY --- Opening-day starter Nick Villa ran into trouble early. After getting two quick outs, the Falcons rallied for three runs in the bottom of the first inning to go out in front.

Cerritos put up another run in the second before West LA finally got on the scoreboard. Kai Hershberger smacked a triple to bring in Noah Matsumoto and Erik Diaz hit an RBI single to score Hershberger.

Nathan Nykaza's single in the third drove in Jesus Sanchez to cut the Cerritos lead to 4-3.

But the Falcons responded with two runs in the fourth and again in the fifth innings to put the game out of reach. Down 8-3, the Wildcats put together a three-run rally in the fifth. Sanchez and Diaz both hit RBI doubles and Kobe Estrada singled in a run but neither teams were able to score over the final four innings.

Diaz had a big game at the plate, going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Sanchez was 2 for 4, scoring a pair of runs with an RBI while Hershberger had two hits (2 for 5) with a run and RBI.

Villa took the loss for the Wildcats after allowing two earned runs and one hits over one inning. Alexander Galvan (1 inning, 2 K) and Henry Castillo (3 innings, 2 K) combined to keep Cerritos off the board to close out the game.

West LA (0-1) returns to action in search of its first win on Monday (Feb.7) when the Wildcats travel to Saddleback College for a non-conference game.