Roller’s Base Hit Brings SI Yankees Closer to First

The Staten Island Yankees had some late inning heroics as they defeated the rival Brooklyn Cyclones to move a half of a game away from first place.  First baseman Kyle Roller is the man responsible as with two outs and men at the corners he lined the ball hard into left field for the game winning single.

The Cyclones started the scoring in the top half of the first inning when Cody Holliday singled to start it off, went to second on a one-out single by Cory Vaughn.  Then a wild pitch moved both runners up 90-feet for Jeff Flagg who lined a single to center to score the first run of the ball game.

In the bottom of the inning the Staten Island Yankees tied things up.  Eduardo Sosa lead it off with a line drive to right for a base hit before going to second when Isaiah Brown reached on a force attempt that the shortstop made a fielding error on.  After a strikeout both runners took off and achieved a double steal with Sosa going home on a throwing error by the catcher that also sent Brown to third.

Zach Varce started the game and only went two innings - Photo Credit: Robert M Pimpsner

Right-hander Zachary Varce started the game for the Baby Bombers and he was knocked out early after allowing a run on five hits and walk while striking out two in just two innings.  He was followed by Manny Barreda who was next and he went two innings allowing four walks while striking out two.

Left-handed pitcher Samuel Elam took over on the mound in the fifth inning for the Yankees.  He went two innings allowing three walks and striking out three.  Nathan Forer followed him going two innings allowing three hits and a walk while striking out two.  Preston Claiborne followed him to earn the win going two innings allowing just a hit while striking out three.  The five Staten Island Yankees pitches combined for twelve strikeouts.

Eduardo Sosa made the defensive play of the game when he made a nice diving catch in centerfield with two outs in the tenth, stranding the Brooklyn runner at second and preventing a run from scoring.

Nick McCoy - Photo Credit: Robert M Pimpsner

Nick McCoy led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a line drive single to right-centerfield.  Eduardo Sosa then sent a fly ball into short left field off the end of the bat to put two-men on base for Isaiah Brown who was 0 for 3 coming into that at bat and he laid a bunt down but the out was made at third to get the lead runner.  Brown was called safe at first to keep runners at first and second but with one-out.  Shane Brown then came up and he popped a foul ball to the first baseman that Sosa tagged up on and went to third.  Kyle Roller was next up and he lined a shot to left field for the game winning base hit.

Notes: Catcher Francisco Arcia will return to action tomorrow night as he will start the game in Brooklyn.  Arcia has been sidelined after he injured his hand when the Aberdeen first baseman landed on it on a slide back to first on June 23.  Second baseman Casey Stevenson left the game in the seventh inning after injuring his foot while sliding into second.

Robert M. Pimpsner

Robert joins Gotham Baseball after spending 7 1/2 years as the owner and senior writer for Baby-Bombers.com providing independent coverage of the Staten Island Yankees and their alumni for thousands of visitors. In July of 2009 he joined Gotham Baseball, bringing his coverage of the Baby Bombers.

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