Softball team finds fountain of youth

As people grow from youth to adulthood, they go through seasons and periods of trying times and mistakes. Even with those experiences, some people always find a way to never lose their zeal for life and to rejuvenate.

For the softball team, a youthful spirit may be just what it has needed to win.

After losing its first three games of the season, it has gone on to win eight straight and one tie.

With a team comprised of all first-year players, it is certain that Head Coach Kodee Murray will experience inconsistency with her young team.

Even within some of the team's wins, there have still been some imperfections. Coach Murray has been quoted as saying the team has made "dumb" mistakes and has shown their inexperience in things such as errors like missed catches, pitchers throwing too many balls and not enough strikes,etc.

But ever since a 5-2 win against Riverside on Feb. 2, the team's been on a quest to prove that youthfulness dosen't equal inexperience.



The streak continued with a one run win over Santa Ana on Feb. 20, keeping the Dons scoreless. The Falcons have gone from being shutout in two of its three losses (against Bakersfield and Ventura), to shutting out other teams.

One of the emerging stars is Jessica Navarro , starting pitcher and sister of former Falcon standout Joanna Navarro . In her role as a starting pitcher, she has shown that she has a rocket for an arm. She also pitched two straight shutouts, one of them in a 2-0 win against Golden West on Feb. 16.

But her strengths aren't limted from the pitcher's mound; she's been a force from behind the plate as well. In the win against Riverside (the one that started it all), she hit a two-run homerun. She also leads the team with a batting average of .500

Another of the young stars is catcher Nadine Garcia, who's right behind Navarro with a batting average of.462.

The team will try and keep its winning streak going by playing three straight road games starting tomorrow against Moorpark. Afterward, the team will be playing a double header this Saturday at College of the Canyons against the aforementioned Cougars.


Later on that day, the team will be matched up with Fullerton once again. The Falcons lost to the Hornets in its second game of the season. The two teams will match up twice more in back-to-back games on March 24 and 25.

With its newly found rejuvenation, the Falcons will hope to avenge the loss and hope to keep it going throughout the remainder of it's regular season schedule and maybe even into the post-season.

Getting served

Tennis season is underway, both in the professional ranks and at Cerritos.

But over the years, the teams at Cerritos have struggled somewhat. Not so much as with the ability to win games, but for off-the-court reasons.

With recruiting problems and not enough money to fund the team last season, the women came close to canceling the season until the team was blessed with some charity from the Bookstore accross the street from campus.



The men's team decided not to compete in last year's regional playoffs in regard to the athletes' individual schedules and to concentrate on schoolwork.

This year, both teams are looking to go further. While the women have started with two straight loses, the men however have won two straight.



Both are returning a few key players from last year and both have some impressive first-year members.

The men are led by the Wonder Twin duo of the Vachirajongkols. Individually, they may not be the absolute best, but when they "activate" their wonder twin powers, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Jackie and Jefferywere both 1st team All-SCC last year and are the best double players. Jeff is in the No. 1 singles slot with his other half followed closely behind at No.2.

Against Mesa College last Thursday , Jeff won 6-2, 6-1 and Jackie, 6-0, 6-2.



The women have Asha Badal, No. 5 singles player. She may be the Falcons' own version of Serena Williams.

Sonia Gutierrez got a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win in the #2 singles match against Orange Coast last Thursday. She is one of the first-year players to look at for the rest of the season.

According to women's coach Rosana Chatman, the team has to work on its footwork and consistency. I'm sure that the men have work on the same factors.

Next Tuesday, the men will try to do what the women could not; defeat Saddleback. The women lost 6-3 to the Gauchos on Feb. 1.The women's next game is against Glendale on Tuesday.

This season, may monetary difficulties not stop the tennis teams from reaching their full potential.