by In front of a sold out crowd of 7,171 fans the Staten Island Yankees got their first victory of the season, preventing a sweep by the rival Brooklyn Cyclones, behind the spectacular pitching of Baby Bombers pitcher Mikey O’Brien.
For the third consecutive game the Staten Island Yankees were the first to plate a run when third baseman Garrison Lassiter knocked a groundball down the right field line, hugging the chalk all the way to the wall for a leadoff triple. He came home to score after Isaiah Brown had a double to short right field that the first baseman, right fielder and second baseman could not get to, falling between the three.
The Cyclones tied the game up in the top of the sixth inning after Luis Nieves started off with a ground ball single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cody Holliday. Darrell Ceciliani then lined a ball that hit Yankees pitcher Mikey O’Brien leg but O’Brien fielded for the out at first. Nieve flirted with going home; luring Urena to make a throw to the third baseman that went way over his head and allow Nieve to score the tying run.
That would be the only run that the young-right hander allows in the game as he went 7 full innings earning his first win of the season. He allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 4, throwing just 79 pitches (6 less than his limit coming into the game).
“It was great man,” said the young right-handed, “just from warming up to the end of the game. It was one of those days that adrenaline was pumping and everything.”
“He kept the ball down; he pitched down with all of his pitches,” said pitching coach Pat Daneker about O’Brien’s success in the game, “He had 10-11 ground ball outs, as long as he keeps the ball down like that, good things are going to happen.”
In the bottom of the seventh inning the Baby Bombers took the lead for god. Jose Mojica started it off with a ground ball to left for a single and then moved to third on sacrifice bunt by Garrison Lassiter but an errant throw by the third baseman Jet Butler allowed Lassiter to be safe at first and bring Mojica to third. Luis Parache was up next and he doubled on a fly ball to right field that brought home Mojica.
Preston Claiborne came into the game to pitch the eighth inning and he worked a shutout inning, striking out 1 before being replaced by Chase Whitely who made his professional debut striking out 2 in a perfect inning of work to earn the save.
Tomorrow night the Baby Bombers will travel up to Fishkill, NY to face the Hudson Valley Renegades in a quick two-game road trip before returning to the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Wednesday night to start a five-game home stand against the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Hudson Valley Renegades.
