SoftballSOFTBALL COMES IN SECOND PLACE IN TOURNAMENTAfter three solid wins in the Golden West Tournament over the weekend, the Cerritos College softball team faced one of the best teams in the country in the finals. Despite a 6-2 loss at the hands of Arizona Western, the Falcons (12-9 overall) ended the game with the bases loaded and one of their hottest hitters at the plate.Down 6-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Cerritos took advantage of a one out walk to catcher Amie Barton before left fielder Kim Simkins was hit by a pitch.Second baseman Silvia Park then singled to load the bases. Right fielder Erin Brown drove in the team’s first run with a base hit before third baseman Manisha Vadgama drove in another run with a ground out. Center fielder Sam Sadri then reached base on an error, which loaded the bases for shortstop Heather Martin.Up until her final at-bat of the tournament, Martin had gone 6-for-13 (.462) with two home runs and five RBI. But, she popped up to the second baseman to end the game. Cerritos reached the championship game with wins over Golden West (3-2), Victor Valley (13-0) and San Diego City (6-2). In the opening game, the Falcons trailed 2-0 heading into the fifth inning. Vadgama led off with a walk before Sadri singled to move her to second base. A wild pitch advanced both runners before designated hitter Michelle Mariscal drove them both in with a base hit and moved to second base on the throw home. A wild pitch moved Mariscal to third base, before Barton singled her home with the eventual game-winner. Pitcher Alana Gallatin shut down the Rustlers the rest of the way to earn the win. Mariscal picked up two RBI in the win over San Diego City without the benefit of a base hit. She drove in the team’s first run in the first inning with a ground out, while Barton drove in the second run of the inning with a base hit. Cerritos increased their lead to 4-0 in the second inning without a base hit. Brown walked with one out, stole second base and then came around to score on consecutive wild pitches. In the top of the seventh inning, Sadri singled to lead off the inning while Martin followed with a double. Mariscal drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, while Martin came around to score in another fielder’s choice by Barton. Martin was the offensive hero in the lopsided win over Victor Valley. Vadgama and Sadri led off the top of the first with base hits before Martin clubbed a three-run home run over the left field fence for a quick 3-0 advantage. In the next inning, Martin drove another ball in almost the exact same spot for a two-run blast. Park picked up a two-run single in the fourth inning, while Simkins drove in two more with a base hit in the fifth inning.