by In front of a sold out crowd at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark the Brooklyn Cyclones came from behind to earn a season series split with the Staten Island Yankees.
The Cyclones were the first to get on the board plating four runs in the first inning off of Yankees starter Mike Gipson. After Darrell Ceciliani grounded out to second Wilfredo Tovar singled to short, stole second before Jeff Flah singled. Jon Bonfe then sent a fly ball to left for an RBI single before J.B. Brown cleared the bases with a three-run homerun.
Gipson went two and two-third inning allowing four runs on four hits and walk while striking out four of the fourteen batters he faced. He was relieved by Richard Martinez who went an inning and a third striking out three.
In the bottom of the third the Baby Bombers took advantage of some bad Brooklyn fielding to take the lead. Kelvin Duran started it off with his first base hit with the Staten Island Yankees, a double to center. He came around to score when Shane Brown singled to right and then advance to third on a throwing error by the right fielder. Brown then scored when Casey Stevenson singled before Kelvin De Leon struck out. Kyle Roller then reached on a failed force attempt when the shortstop committed a throwing error that allowed Stevenson to be face at second. Newcomer Gary Sanchez then got his first base hit and RBI for Staten Island with a single that goes up the middle and bringing home Stevenson. New third baseman Rob Segedin then double to center for his first Staten Island Yankees hit and RBI, scoring Kyle Roller while Gary Sanchez moved to third on the play. Sanchez then scored the go ahead run when Luis Parache grounded out to the second baseman.
Daniel Burawa made his professional debut, the right-hander out of St. John’s University threw a shutout inning in relief allowing just a walk before Bryant Cotton took over on the hill.
Brooklyn would tie it up and take the lead in the top of the seventh inning. James Schroeder started it off with a fly ball single to left and then went to third on a double to left by Darrell Ceciliani. Bother would come around to score when Wilfredo Tovar singled to right field, giving the Cyclones a 6-5 lead.
Cotton was touched for just those two runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out two of the ten batters he faced. Andrew Shive took over for the eighth inning pitching a perfect inning in relief before allowing a run in the ninth on a hit and two walks.
Casey Stevenson led off the ninth inning for the Baby Bombers and on the fourth pitch he saw he launched the ball to the right of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark batter’s eye for a homerun. After Kelvin De Leon popped up to the catcher before Kyle Roller worked a walk on five pitches. Designated hitter Gary Sanchez struck out on a check swing before Rob Segedin grounded out to second to end the game.
Bryant Cotton took the loss for the Staten Island Yankees while Brooklyn pitcher Wesley Wrenn earned the win. Friday night Staten Island travels up to Connecticut to face off with the Connecticut Tigers in a three-game series. Zachary Varce, Shane Greene and Mikey O’Brien are expected to make the starts in that series.
