First baseman Ashley Ventura led the Falcons in two softball home game victories last week by hitting a home run in each; against Los Angeles Harbor Tuesday, 9-1, and against Cypress Saturday, 8-3.
Errors led to defeat for the Falcons when they faced LA Harbor earlier in the season but an explosive first inning led to this non-conference win.
“The first inning I feel like we came out ready to play,” said Ventura.
She now has 6 home runs on the season and feels that the team has evolved enough now to possibly take the state championship this season.
“I feel prepared and ready to go put up a fight,” said Ventura, “I think we’re not so much confident just excited and ready to go, we’ve been waiting for this all season.
She says that the only thing she believes her team needs to perfect is communication to become even more dominant.
“Were moving on up, we started from the bottom but we’re working all the way up.”
The team’s increasing momentum was shown in their second home game win of the week against No. 2 ranked Cypress.
Head Coach Kodee Murray said, “Cypress has a great program so we knew it would be a great game in that respect.”
She described the game as having the pride of the neighborhood on the line.
“All these kids have played together and they have gone to school together forever,” Murray said.
Ventura’s home run in the 5th inning was part of what led to this second victory ending a 2-2 tie and opening the game for the Cerritos offense.
Murray said, “The thing about Ashley’s home run is that it came at a big moment in our day, it wasn’t a nothing moment, she just stepped up and did it.”
She attributes clinch performances like Ventura’s as proof of her team’s maturity developing throughout the season and a reflection of their hard work.
“We’ve got a bunch of good players that come out and work hard pushing themselves to do things outside of their own ability to try to see what more they can do,” said Murray.
The team’s offense filled the scoreboard but Murray describes the key to this win as pitcher Hillary Perez-Ashley coming out and throwing a great game.
Murray describes her team as comfortable facing anyone at this point in the season.
“There was no fear they just came out and played the game hard and straightforward,” she said.
“Going out to play a big game, you could be afraid of what the outcome is and consequently you’re not going to get anything done or you go out and you play hard and push yourself to be able to achieve something.”
They had no fear and I think that’s why they did what they did.” She added.
Outfielder Sammy Garcia described the 5th inning as the tipping point in which the game began unfolding in favor of Cerritos.
“We just broke out and we just hit a lot,” said Garcia, “those two home runs in that inning with runners on base were good.”
Garcia said her team was just capitalizing on the mistakes Cypress pitcher Katrina Pinkowski was making.
“They were throwing down the middle and we just took advantage of it.” said Garcia,
“We just capitalized on their mistakes.”
The only thing keeping the Cerritos softball team from going to the playoffs is two more conference games against teams it has already beaten earlier in the season.
“I think we’re going to do good because we’re really determined to win and be on top, were just trying to be competitive right now. “
Garcia also believes that the team will do well if it gets the chance to travel to the state c
hampionships.
Many of the sophomores on the team went last year but returned without the state championship; time will tell if this season will end differently.
