Cerda Cycles in SE Run-Rule Win at SNU

BETHANY, Okla. – Southeastern's Joseph Cerda hit for the cycle in a monster offensive performance as Southeastern picked up an 18-5 run-rule victory over Southern Nazarene in the series opener on Friday afternoon in Bethany, Okla.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 17-21 overall and 12-13 in Great American Conference play with a double-header to finish the series slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Bethany, Okla.
 
Cerda finished the contest 5-for-5 with seven RBI and a pair of runs scored to lead all offensive players.
 
Travis Spinney and Easton Elliott followed with three hits each, while Bryce Deatherage, Austin Ferguson, Harrison Whitworth, Caleb Dubler, and Cade Clay added two hits apiece.
 
Cerda's seven RBI paced all hitters, while Spinney, Ferguson, Jett Swigart, and Clay added two RBI each.
 
Cody Nitson got the start and picked up his fourth win of the season after allowing five runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings of work with three strikeouts.
 
Jake Patterson tossed the final inning and allowed a hit and struck out one.
 
Southeastern jumped ahead in the top of the first when Cerda connected on a two-run single to right, driving in Travis Spinney and Austin Ferguson for a 2-0 lead.
 
Spinney followed up with an RBI double in the second inning, plating Cade Clay and opening up a 3-0 lead.
 
The Crimson Storm answered with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to knot the game at 3-3.
 
Cerda wasted little time in striking back in the top of the third, connecting on a two-run homer to open up a 5-3 advantage.
 
An inning later Cerda tacked on an RBI triple to drive in Easton Elliott and make the lead 6-3.
 
SNU would start closing the gap with a run in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth to close the score to 6-5 after five innings.
 
In the top of the sixth Bryce Deatherage would single home Spinney to make it 7-5 and two batters later Cerda would complete the cycle in his fourth at bat with an RBI double to plate Deatherage and push the score to 8-5.
 
The Savage Storm would explode offensively in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs when Ferguson connected on a two-run single, followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Elliott and Cerda to stretch the lead to 12-5.
 
SE was not done as Jett Swigart followed with a two-run double and Harrison Whitworth chipped in an RBI single to push the edge to 15-5.
 
Two batters later Cade Clay doubled home a pair of runs and Spinney closed out the 10-run inning with an RBI double to plate Clay for an 18-5 lead which would end up being the final score in a run-rule shortened contest.