Falcons face biggest test of the year

For the Cerritos College softball team, its next game will be the most important one of the season.

The game at Mt. SAC on Thursday, will make or break the Falcons season. A lot of pressure is on as playoffs are approaching in less than three weeks.

The match-up will mark the third and final game of the regular season before the playoffs. The season series is tied, 1-1, after the Mounties stole one from the Falcons in their own backyard on March 24 and ended Cerritos' seven-game winning streak. And let's not forget handing the Falcons their one and only SCC loss.

To make the game a little more interesting, one team will be forced to get its winning streak snapped. Cerritos will enter Thursday's game with a five-game winning streak and Mt. SAC with seven straight.

If that's not enough then maybe the fact that these teams faced each other in last year's championship, which Cerritos won, can make it just a little bit more interesting.

Perhaps the Mounties victory over the Falcons in their last meeting was a fluke, but if they were to do it again, then the Falcons' reputation of being this powerhouse might be tarnished and Mt. SAC would be the new team-to-beat in the SCC.

Now the question is: "Why wouldn't the Mounties win?"

The advantage is on their side. Even though Cerritos has some momentum after beating East LA on Tuesday, the Mounties' momentum is greater and has been growing since March 19. Aside from winning seven consecutive games, Mt. SAC has won 12 of the last 13 games.

The key player to this game will be Cerritos' ace pitcher, Hillary Perez-Ashley. Perez-Ashley gave up three home-runs in the last meeting which nearly matched her season total of four. Perez-Ashley will have to endure the pressure of facing the team that handed her the worst outing of the season.