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March 27, 2025
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
The Cerritos High baseball team was searching for anything to stop a five-game losing streak when it hosted Downey High last Friday. And junior pitcher Frank Melendrez was just what the doctor ordered.
Melendrez worked the final four innings, retiring 11 of the final 14 he saw after giving up a pair of runs as the Dons scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning and one more in the sixth as Cerritos posted a 7-3 win. Coupled with a 9-3 victory over Long Beach Wilson High this past Monday, the Dons are now 5-9 on the season.
“Frank’s done a great job for us all year,” said Cerritos head coach Matt Joyce. “His win-loss record wouldn’t show that, but I want to say Frank has given up maybe two or three earned runs all year. He’s been our guy; he’s our rock on the mound. I’m super happy for Frank and he works really hard.”
After senior Braxton Reed worked the first three frames, allowing four hits and one run, Melendrez came in nursing a 3-1 lead. But with one out, he walked Fabian Lopez and gave up a hit to Caden Aguilar. Both would advance on a wild pitch before a groundout from Marcos Quinonez made hit 3-2. Another wild pitch allowed Aguilar to touch home plate but after that, Melendrez retired six straight batters.
While he was doing his job, the offense was making sure it put enough runs on the board to prevent a sixth straight loss. With one out in the fifth, senior second baseman Dalton Chi reached second on two errors on the same play. Senior shortstop Adrian Regis singled him home and one out later, Regis made it 5-3 on a base hit from sophomore third baseman Brandon Vo. Two pitches later and with Vo at second following a stolen base, sophomore designated hitter Julian Diaz singled to right to bring in Vo.
Reed added an insurance run in the sixth inning when he was walked, stole second and advanced twice on wild pitches. Chi and Regis each had a pair of hits and the third through seventh batters in the lineup went a combined six for 15 with six runs batted in and three runs.
“We’ve lost five games in a row until today and these guys are sick of losing,” said Joyce. “In their competitive drive, they put together some good at-bats and…they’re ready to win. And what a good time right before league [starts].”
Melendrez won for the first time in four decisions but has a pair of saves. One of those losses was a 1-0 complete game contest against Beckman High on Mar. 5. Melendrez also pitched six and two-thirds innings of one-hit ball against Mayfair High on Mar. 13. The Dons would lose 1-0 in 10 innings.
“When we had an extra inning game on Wednesday [against Chino Hills High], Frank came in for four innings of that game,” said Joyce. “Braxton was the true starter [against Downey] and the plan was only for him to go two or three innings. I just wanted to give Frank a little cushion because this was supposed to be Frank’s start.”
Cerritos will host Artesia High on Friday in the 605 League opener before entertaining Pioneer High on Tuesday in the front end of a home and home series. The Dons, who have been in four one-run games and a pair of two-run contests, will also travel to Bishop Montgomery High on Thursday.
“We’ve been close all year,” said Joyce. “I’ll be honest with you, baseball is a cruel sport and sometimes, we haven’t been getting the breaks. But I told them if we just hold on, it’s going to turn, and I feel it’s starting to turn and it’s at a perfect time.”
In other baseball action, Artesia knocked off Magnolia High 8-2 this past Tuesday to improve to 8-2. The Pioneers will host South El Monte High on Saturday and Whitney High on Tuesday. Gahr High’s losing streak to begin the season was extended to six games after falling to Corona High 6-0 this past Tuesday in the opening game of the Boras Classic. But the Gladiators, who had been outscored 27-5, bounced back the next day in a big way against Paloma Valley High, posting a 16-1 victory. The Gladiators would face Cathedral Catholic High on Mar. 27 and finish the prestigious tournament on Friday before playing La Jolla Country Day High on Monday in the first round of the National Classic.
John Glenn High fell to Whitney 9-4 this past Tuesday in the 605 League opener for both teams. The Eagles (3-9, 0-1) will host the Wildcats on Friday, travel to Baldwin Park High on Saturday and entertain Oxford Academy on Tuesday.
Whitney’s win was the first league victory since 2019 as no league games were played in 2020 and the school did not field a team for the next three seasons. The Wildcats (4-3) then went 1-15 overall last season, falling in all 10 league games.
La Mirada High, the best baseball team in the area, has won its first two games of the Boras Classic, first blanking Birmingham High 7-0 this past Tuesday behind senior center fielder Travis Friend’s grand slam and sophomore second baseman Bear Calvo’s two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Jacob Oropeza went five innings, allowing two hits and strike out four. The Matadores (9-1) would face Mater Dei High on Mar. 27 in one semifinal game and then play either Corona High or JSerra High on Friday for either the championship or third place before hosting Downey on Tuesday, going to Downey on Wednesday and visiting Warren High on Thursday.
Norwalk High dropped a 11-2 decision to Mayfair this past Tuesday to fall to 8-6 overall, 4-2 in the Mid-Cities League. The Lancers hosted Mayfair again on Friday and will go to Paramount High on Tuesday.
Valley Christian High slammed A.B. Miller High 11-0 this past Tuesday to even its mark at 7-7, the third time it has reached the .500 mark. The Defenders will visit West Covina High on Friday, seeking to go above .500 for the first time since winning their season opener. They will also host Village Christian High on Tuesday in the Olympic League opener.
SOFTBALL
Artesia slammed Westminster High 17-1 this past Tuesday to move a game north of .500 after 11 games. The Pioneers will Cerritos on Friday and Whitney on Tuesday.
Cerritos hosted Norwalk this past Wednesday and came up short in a 5-4 contest. After taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Dons (4-5) saw Norwalk score three times in the top of the fourth inning as it sent eight batters to the plate, collected three hits. Cerritos regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on successive singles from senior second baseman Michelle Meza, junior pitcher Ava Ceron and freshman left fielder Noelle Martinez. One out later, a base hit from junior right fielder Jasmin Romulo allowed Martinez to score the go-ahead run.
But with one out in the top of the seventh, junior shortstop Nayeli Sanchez reached on an error and after a groundout, freshman pitcher Alyssa Hurst singled to left. After the third error of the frame, senior center fielder Diana Avina doubled down the left field line to allow senior courtesy runner Janii McGarrah to score the game-winner.
Cerritos will welcome Artesia on Friday and go to Pioneer on Tuesday while Norwalk (4-8-1) went to Firebaugh High on Mar. 27 and will visit Warren on Tuesday before hosting Bellflower High on Thursday.
Gahr (4-6-1) went to Mayfair on Mar. 27 and will be home to California High on Friday before hosting La Mirada on Tuesday. the next day, the Gladiators will face Mater Dei Catholic High in the opener of the Michelle Carew Classic.
Glenn remains undefeated after seven games as it will host Whitney on Friday and Oxford Academy on Tuesday while La Mirada shutout Downey 10-0 this past Tuesday in the Gateway League opener. The Matadores (12-3, 1-0) hosted Paramount on Mar. 27 and will entertain Mayfair on Thursday.
V.C. which hasn’t played since Mar. 20, will take its 8-2 record into its Olympic League opener at Heritage Christian High on Tuesday before hosting Village Christian High on Thursday.
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