Griffins hang with state power Falcons

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: February 16, 2024

2024 GROSSMONT COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

ECS staff report

FLETCHER HILLS – After Title IX — the Education Amendments Act of 1972 — was approved by the U.S. Supreme Court, states were granted a period of time to find the funds to enact the new measure calling to cease gender-based discrimination in any school.

Under Governor Edmund Gerald “Jerry” Brown, Jr., a Democrat, California took its time, waiting four years after high schools enacted the measure to have its system of community colleges begin state-sanctioned women’s athletics.

The state’s first champion in what is now known as the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) was Cerritos College of Norwalk. To this day, the Falcons continue to be a state power.

Guess who Grossmont College had the chance to play in its first home game following last week’s rain out — Cerritos.

In the first Griffins home game since the COVID-19 pandemic, a glance at the score shows a Cerritos wipe-out win of 13-3 by rub rule.

However, Grossmont head coach Craig Fuentes might really be smiling as his squad stayed closed to the Falcons for five innings innings before slipping away in the sixth.

In a close game between the veteran program of Cerritos and the first Grossmont roster in five season, the locals stayed close for the first five frames before allowing seven runs in the sixth.

In a way, it’s a sort of celebration for Grossmont, which plans on becoming a contender sooner than later by facing all of the top schools from Orange County rather than playing a bunch of weak opponents from outside the area.

Grossmont was within 5-3 throughout most of Thursday’s (Feb. 16) contest thanks to be third-inning eruption.

Included was a two-run triple by shortstop Destiny Burroughs andwho then scored on an intentional grounder to the right side by by cleanup hitter Kaitlyn Ours, the catcher.

The Griffins (0-7 overall) remain winless, yet have played all of the best programs in the Southland — Long Beach (twice), Santa Ana, Santiago Canyon and East L.A. (twice). They return home on Saturday (Feb. 17) for two games with San Bernardino Valey, starting at noon.