State #4 Cerritos Wins All 3 v. Baseball

The Pasadena City College baseball team ran into a buzzsaw this week in facing state #4-ranked Cerritos College and the Falcons used superb pitching to sweep the Lancers in the 3-game series. On Saturday, despite a sterling performance by pitcher Connor Campbell, he was outdueled by Cerritos lefty ace Derek Valdez, 6-0, at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field.

Campbell (4-2) was outstanding, allowing just six hits, three runs, two on a home run to right-center by Brody Cuellar in the sixth, one walk and striking out four in seven innings. The sophomore righthander traded shutout innings with Derek Valdez, the SoCal Pitcher of the Year as a freshman, through the first four frames.

In the fifth, the Falcons took a 1-0 lead on Daniel Cuedras' double. 

PCC had no answers for Valdez, who hurled eight shutout innings although the Lancers loaded the bases in the second only to see Cerritos third baseman Mateo Heredia make a backhand stop on Devin Munoz hard grounder to third as Heredia threw a 3-hop grounder to first in order to beat Munoz running up the line to end the threat.

The Lancers loaded the bases again in the ninth, but closer AJ Gonzalez got out of that jam for Valdez (7-0) as the two hurlers combined for a 8-hit blanking. 

PCC first baseman Brandon Gill batted 2-for-4 and designated hitter Bryan Richman went 2-for-5. Second baseman Rocco Regan added a double.

Pasadena (10-7 overall, 5-4 in South Coast Conference play) was limited to just nine runs in the series. In the opener, SCC-leading Cerritos (17-2 overall) handed PCC a 12-3 defeat. Tyler Garcia, fresh off his SoCal Player of the Week honors, was 2-for-4 with a double and triple and Joaquin Salcedo was 2-for-4 with a double. 

In game 2 also at Cerritos with the rain causing havoc to the schedule, PCC belted out 14 hits, including rightfielder Isaac Ton driving in 5 RBI on a 3-for-4 day (and a double) but Cerritos jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held on for an 8-6 triumph. Richman and Salcedo each were 3-for-5 while Garcia went 2-for-6. 

PCC remains in a tie for fourth place with El Camino in the SCC standings while Cerritos is tied with Mt. San Antonio, both 6-0 at the top of the heap. 

Pasadena will face Compton in a 3-game set next week, beginning with a Tuesday, Mar. 11 opener at Brookside.