It’s the top of the seventh inning, the bases are loaded with two outs, El Camino’s baseball team is holding on to a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore pitcher Cassius Hamm had been dealing all game but was stuck in a jam. Hamm struck out Jesus Mercado to end the scoring threat for the Falcons.

Hamm would go on to strikeout 10 batters and earn his seventh win of the season after a 6-1 conference win over Cerritos College.

“That strikeout in the seventh inning that Hamm had, was probably the best pitch of the game,” EC coach Nate Fernley said.

Hamm allowed only four hits and one earned run in 7 2/3 innings.

“I thought I came out from the beginning just able to throw strikes,” Hamm. “I had command of all my pitches.”

Sophomore outfielder Noah Barba broke the game open early with a solo home run over the scoreboard in centerfield in the bottom of the 2nd inning.

Not to be outdone, his teammate sophomore Trevor Casanova added his his own solo blast in the bottom of the fifth to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

EC could not take advantage of scoring opportunities while leaving eight men on base throughout the game, much to chagrin of Fernley.

“I thought we did a poor job of executing offensively in situations,” Fernley said.

EC added two runs in the eighth inning and sophomore Jake Carr came in for relief to earn his fourth save of the season.

“Staying locked in (for) all nine (innings), that’s the hardest thing for us,” Casanova said. “I feel if we stay locked in (for) all nine and play our baseball, we’re (going to) be really hard to beat.”