In Press Row's Latest, Melendrez holds off Downey, allowing Cerritos to secure a victory and snap their losing streak
In the exciting opening game of the 605 League, Cerritos High School hosted Artesia High on Friday. The game marked the start of the league's season for both teams. Cerritos will also entertain Pioneer High on Tuesday and travel to Bishop Montgomery High on Thursday.
Meanwhile, La Mirada shut out Downey 10-0 in the Gateway League opener. However, Cerritos suffered a close loss against Norwalk, 5-4, earlier in the week.
The turning point in the Cerritos-Norwalk game came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior second baseman Dalton Chi reached second base on two errors, and senior shortstop Adrian Regis singled him home. Regis later scored to make it 5-3. Cerritos regained the lead with successive singles from senior second baseman Michelle Meza, junior pitcher Ava Ceron, and freshman left fielder Noelle Martinez. Junior right fielder Jasmin Romulo's base hit allowed Martinez to score the go-ahead run.
Frank Melendrez, the junior left-handed pitcher (LHP), played a crucial role in the game. Prior to his appearance, senior Braxton Reed worked the first three frames, allowing four hits and one run. Melendrez gave up a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Cerritos offense scored three times in the fifth and one more in the sixth to secure the win. Melendrez retired 11 of the final 14 batters he faced, impressing coach Matt Joyce who praised his performance, stating that he has given up only a few earned runs all season and has been a consistent performer for the team.
Cerritos is now 5-9 on the season, having won two of their last three games. The team will look to build on this momentum as they continue their league schedule.
Elsewhere, V.C. and Glenn are yet to play since March 20, but both teams will resume their seasons soon. Glenn remains undefeated after seven games, while V.C. boasts an 8-2 record. Gahr's record is 4-6-1, and Norwalk's record is now 4-8-1.
In a separate event, the Cerritos High School softball team also secured a thrilling victory. In the top of the seventh inning, junior shortstop Nayeli Sanchez reached on an error, freshman pitcher Alyssa Hurst singled to left, and senior center fielder Diana Avina doubled down the left field line to allow senior courtesy runner Janii McGarrah to score the game-winning run.
References:
[1] Cerritos High School Baseball Team Roster for the 2025-26 Season. (n.d.). Retrieved from Team's Website [2] Game Stats, Highlights, and Scouting Reports for the 2025 Cerritos High School Baseball Season. (n.d.). Retrieved from Local Sports Coverage
The community eagerly awaits the upcoming events in the Cerritos High School baseball team's league schedule, including their home games against Pioneer High and Bishop Montgomery High, as well as local sports coverage of their matches. Meanwhile, the Cerritos High School softball team recently celebrated a thrilling win, with key plays from junior shortstop Nayeli Sanchez, freshman pitcher Alyssa Hurst, and senior center fielder Diana Avina.
