BK Cyclones: Boardwalk Bums Throw Away Chance at Sweep

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

14-6

First Place

McNamara Division

Cyclones win series 2-1

I - BKN 5; HVR 3

II - BKN 1; HVR 0

III - HVR 6; BKN 5

BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Coney Islanders err in bid to sweep Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Brooklyn Cyclones overcame a 5-2 deficit with 3 runs in the top of the 7th inning, forcing extra innings in Friday's series finale against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

They might even have come within a David Thompson throw of completing a 3-game sweep.

Matt Blackham started for Brooklyn, and got touched up for all 5 Hudson Valley runs.  All runs were earned, on 4 hits and 4 walks, and he fanned 5 batters upon departing after 4.2 innings of work.

Four Brooklyn relievers then combined on 6.1 scoreless innings through the 11th, allowing 7 hits and striking out 9 batters.

After the Renegades jumped out to a 1st inning 1-0 lead, Brooklyn tied it in the top of the 2nd on left fielder Oswald Caraballo's sac fly scoring third baseman David Thompson.

The Cyclones went ahead 2-1 in the 3rd.  Catcher Jose Garcia led-off with a double, and later scored on a wild pitch.

The 'Gades tied it in the bottom of the 3rd, and scored 3 runs in the 5th for a 5-2 lead.

DH Zach Mathieu then homered in the top of the 7th, and a 2-RBI single by center fielder Tucker Tharp tied the game at five.

That's the way things stayed till the 12th.

With reliever Nicco Blank pitching for Brooklyn, a throwing error by David Thompson on a sacrifice attempt allowed the winning run to score from second base.

Blank suffered his second loss of the season.

Thursday: Game Two

• Final: Renegades 0; CYCLONES 1

Pitchers Blake Taylor, Andrew Church, and Carlos Valdez combined on 7 scoreless innings, in the Cyclones 1-0 abbreviated game victory over the Hudson Valley Renegades.  They combined to allow just 3 hits and one walk, and fanned 9 batters.

Tucker Tharp drove in the lone run of the game with a double in the 3rd.

Wednesday: Game One

• Final: Cyclones 5; RENEGADES 3

Starter Gaby Almonte improved his record to 2-1, as the Cyclones bested the Renegades by a 5-3 margin.

Third baseman David Thompson went 4 for 5, and Michael Bernal went 3 for 5, accounting for 7 of the Cyclones 10 hits.

Closer Alex Palsha earned his 4th save of the season.

3B- David Thompson

Third baseman David Thompson, 21, was selected in the 4th round (119th overall) of the recent amateur draft.  He reported to Brooklyn after helping the University of Miami reach the College World Series.  Thompson led the nation (Division-I) in RBI and tied for the lead in home runs this season as a junior.  He was a 2015 All-America First Team, and 2015 All-ACC First Team.

• 2015 season at University of Miami: 67 games, 253 at-bats, 83 hits, .328 batting average, 18 doubles, 19 home runs (3 grand slams), .640 slugging average, 90 RBI, 20-game hitting streak.

Next up, the Cyclones will host a series against the Aberdeen Ironbirds.

Mike