Cerda's Homer Seals Friday Night Thriller
June 6, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release
TULSA, OK. -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (23-32) defeated the Tulsa Drillers (24-31), 6-5, on Friday night at ONEOK Field. Christian Cerda launched a go-ahead solo shot in the ninth inning, completing the see-saw contest and started the weekend victorious.
Making his Double-A debut, Tulsa's Patrick Copen struck out the side to start tonight's contest. Not to be outdone, Logan Clayton punched out two to begin his first Amarillo start of the season.
Amarillo tallied the game's first run after loading the bases to start the second. Cerda roped a sacrifice fly into left center field to drive home Caleb Roberts for an early 1-0 Sod Poodles lead. Manuel Pena added an RBI double five pitches later just inside the third base line for a 2-0 advantage.
Tulsa made it 2-1 in the fourth on Noah Miller's solo shot that just got over the fence in right center field.
One inning later, the Drillers loaded the bases with nobody out. After a hit batter tied the game, Tulsa took the 3-2 advantage on Damon Keith's sacrifice fly to center field.
The lead didn't last long, as Amarillo used a three-spot to tie, take the lead and add insurance. Two Tulsa miscues resulted in the tying and go-ahead runs scoring, while Pena notched his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly to center field to hand the Soddies a 5-3 lead by the end of the inning.
Tulsa cut the deficit to one in the seventh on another sacrifice fly that was set up by consecutive steals of second and third base. The Drillers knotted the ballgame in the subsequent inning with a single flared into right field to make it 5-5 heading into the ninth.
Leading off the top half, Cerda sent the 2-2 pitch out to left center field for the go-ahead solo shot to put Amarillo out in front 6-5.
Hayden Durke retired all three Drillers he faced in the ninth to secure the one-run win on Friday night.
The fifth game of the series is set for a 7:00 p.m. first pitch from the Sooner State. A pair of right handers square off, as Amarillo's RHP Jose Cabrera (2-2, 5.03) and Tulsa's RHP Jared Karros (1-4, 7.07) are tomorrow's probable starters to take the rubber.
POSTGAME NOTES
CERDA-FIED BALLER: The go-ahead blast by Christian Cerda is his first go-ahead homer of the season and his fifth total longball in 2025...is Cerda's first career Double-A homer in the ninth inning or later...is his first 3+ RBI ledger this season and most recent since a four-RBI day on Sept. 8, 2024.
ROBBIN' ROBINSON: In the seventh inning, Kristian Robinson nabbed his 15th stolen base of the season...ranks sixth in the Texas League and has four more than the next closest Sod Poodle (Tommy Troy - 11)...seven of Robinson's swipes have come against the Drillers this year.
MASTERFUL MORILLO: Reliever Alfred Morillo notched his longest Double-A outing tonight, throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts...is his longest outing since August 7, 2024 for High-A Hillsboro.
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- Tekoah Roby Named St. Louis Minor League Pitcher of the Month - Springfield Cardinals
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