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Ceres erases early 6-run deficit, blows past Lathrop in landslide
Ceres-Lathrop baseball
The ball skips away from Lathrop infielder Isiah Bowden, as Ceres’ Jose Ortiz slides safely toward second base on a steal. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO/The Bulletin

 Ceres slugged its way through early struggles on Thursday to rout host Lathrop 26-9 and complete the two-game sweep in Western Athletic Conference action.

The game was cut short by Lathrop coaches after the Bulldogs (4-0 WAC, 7-4 overall) scored nine runs in the top of the sixth inning to put the 10-run mercy rule back in play. The visitors had a chance earlier to end it in the fifth inning with a 17-7 lead and two outs, but Lathrop (1-3, 4-10) extended the game with Santino Arranaga’s sun-aided two-run double.

The Spartans’ momentum was stunted between innings when their head coach and a player were ejected.

All told, Ceres took advantage of 12 walks, three hit batters and seven errors. Lathrop used five pitchers.

At the start, it was the Bulldogs who had some difficulty in all facets.

Lathrop pounced early and plated the first six runs through two innings, but Ashton Urena and the rest of the Bulldogs came alive.

Urena, the winning pitcher, was among the many standouts in Ceres’ 14-hit attack, going 3 for 5 with two doubles, a triple, three runs and four RBIs.

Junior Sombrerero (2 for 4, two runs) also drove in four runs and played a big part in the momentum shift. He legged out a three-run triple in the third inning and scored on Jake Oliver’s sacrifice fly to right. Jose Ortiz (1 for 2, two RBIs) capped the six-run rally with the tying score on a double steal. Oliver did not end up with a hit but still managed to score three runs.

Urena struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom half of the third, and that was the only shutdown inning of the game. The senior pitched 4 2/3 innings, and only three of the nine runs he gave up were earned.

Anthony Trevino scored five runs and went 3 for 5 with a triple. Clean-up batter Isaiah Reyes reached base in five of his six plate appearances, going 3 for 4 with two walks, three runs and two RBIs. Marco Vargas went 3 for 4 with three runs, two RBIs, two walks and a sacrifice fly.

Tommy Hammond went 2 for 3 with a double, a run and two RBIs for Lathrop. Jordan Cabral (hit, two walks) and Arranaga (2 for 4) also plated two runs apiece.

Lathrop will look to bounce back with a two-game set against Johansen next week starting Tuesday in Modesto.