by In the tenth inning and in front of a sold out crowd Staten Island Yankees outfielder Kelvin De Leon sent a fly ball up into the air and over the left-field fence with two runners on base and a 3-2 count for a walk-off three-run homerun making him the hero of the day.
That homerun broke a game that was deadlocked at one run a piece since the top of the sixth inning.
The Staten Island Yankees were the first to get on the board in the game, plating a single run in the first inning without recording a base hit. Eduardo Sosa walked then stole second and third base. On an errant throw to third by the catcher Sosa came home giving the Yankees a one-run lead.
In the top of the sixth inning the Mahoning Valley Scrappers plated their only run of the game off of the Staten Island starter Mikey O’Brien. O’Brien threw six innings allowing just three hits and struck out two out of the twenty batters he faced.
Eduardo Sosa was taken out of the game in the top of the fifth. He appeared to injury himself sliding into third base with what should have been his third steal of the game. The umpire called him safe at third but he stood up in foul territory after the play was ended and was tagged out.
Bryant Cotton pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen allowing a hit and a walk before Preston Claiborne went two shutout innings allowing a couple hits and striking out five. Chase Whitley earned the win throwing a shutout tenth inning.
In the bottom of the tenth Garrison Lassiter worked a leadoff walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Farnham. The Scrappers then intentionally walked Luis Parache to pitch to right-fielder Kelvin De Leon who came in as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning. After working the count full De Leon sent the ball into the wind, which was blowing to left-field, for his fifth homerun of the season giving the Yankees a 4-1 win and avoiding the sweep.
Notes: Friday the Staten Island Yankees will be heading to Troy, NY to take on the Tri-City Valley Cats for a three-game set before the All-Star Break. Nik Turley, Kramer Sneed and Zachary Varce are scheduled to pitch for the Baby Bombers. Eduardo Sosa is not expected to be available for the game. Yankees 12th round pick Dan Burawa joined the team today, wearing number 38. The St. John’s University product will pitch out of the bullpen this season.
