Baseball: Late-inning walks lead to Falcons loss

File Photo: Lucas Iorgulescu clubbed a pair of doubles
File Photo: Lucas Iorgulescu clubbed a pair of doubles

Leading 4-2 heading in the top of the seventh inning, the Cerritos College bullpen surrendered six walks over the next two innings, which led to Los Angeles Valley College posting a 6-4 win. The Falcons will play their fourth home game on a row on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. when they host Santa Ana College.

Cerritos was able to take their lead, thanks in part to several Monarchs (4-1) defensive miscues, before their bats provided the offense for the next two runs. In the bottom of the first inning, freshman outfielder Julian Francois (Serra HS) led off with a walk. A failed pickoff throw and then another error on the play allowed Francois to race around the bases to score. The Falcons took a 2-1 lead in the second inning when freshman outfielder Jason Givens (Santa Fe HS) clubbed a one-out double. He then stole third base and scored when the throw went over the head of third baseman Lee Brandzel.

With the game tied at 2-2, freshman second baseman Lucas Iorgulescu (Marina HS) led off with a double (his first of two) and was then sacrificed to third base by freshman outfielder Terril Steen, Jr. (North Torrance HS). Francois then drove a triple to the right field wall to drive in Irgulescu and came home on an infield out by freshman shortstop Bilal Ali (Long Beach Millikan HS).

Freshman starting pitcher J'amore' Ward (Gahr HS) lasted into the fifth inning and was relieved by freshman Elias Torres (Long Beach Poly HS). Ward allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on three hits, while he walked three and struck out five. Torres tossed the next 1 1/2 innings and didn't allow a run. Freshman Justin Almeda (Warren HS) posted strikeouts for both of his outs in the seventh inning, but it was his four walks that lead to a pair of LA Valley runs that tied the game.

Coming on in relief in the seventh inning, freshman Moses Dokes (Santa Barbara HS) recorded a strikeout with the bases loaded to get out of the inning. Both of his walks in the eighth inning came home to score, which was aided by a throwing error from first baseman Sawyer Chesley (Laguna Beach HS), as well as a wild pitch.

Cerritos had a chance to tie the game in the ninth inning, as Francois drew a two-out walk and stole second base. Freshman pitch-hitter Sam Rodriguez (South East HS) drilled a ball to deep left field, which was pulled in at the warning track for the final out of the game.