Brooklyn Cyclones: Lowell Spinners Force Decisive Game Three at Coney Island

From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE 

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Series tied; 1-1

I - BRK 2; LOW 1

II - LOW 3; BRK 1

GAME THREE

LOWELL SPINNERS

vs.

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

FROM

CONEY ISLAND

INTRODUCTIONS & NATIONAL ANTHEM

MEETING AT HOME PLATE

STARTER FRANK VALENTINO TAKES HIS WARM-UPS

FIRST PITCH

VALENTINO DEPARTS GAME IN THE FIFTH

One could tell straightaway Lowell was making solid contact against Cyclones starter Frank Valentino.  Only the superlative play of shortstop Wilmer Reyes allows him to escape the first inning unscathed.  Spinners right fielder Nick Decker leads-off the second with a single.  After which Luke Ritter fails to cleanly handle shortstop Antoni Flores' grounder to second.  Next up designated hitter Stephen Scott squares around to bunt and to everyone in attendance appears to foul the pitch for strike one, all except the umpires that is, whom award Scott first base on a controversial hit by pitch thus loading the bases.  Center fielder Gilberto Jimenez then singles up the middle plating two more runs for a 3-0 Spinners lead.  The Coney Island crowd gives home plate umpire Cilburn Rondon the business Brooklyn style.

Frank Valentino faces 21 batters, throwing 72 pitches with 52 going for strikes.  He allows three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched for the loss.  Relievers Corey Gaconi, Josh Hejka, and Hunter Parson, join in limiting the Spinners to no runs on just two hits and one walks with eight strikeouts over the final 4.2 innings.

The Cyclones get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame when Ranfy Adon singles home Joe Genord.  With two outs in the top of the sixth, Ranfy Adon also makes a nifty diving catch of Stephen Scott's liner to right. 

BOTTOM SIXTH

Two Outs w/ Tying Runs In Scoring Position

With one out in the bottom half of the sixth Luke Ritter and Joe Genord stroke consecutive singles, then advance on Jake Mangum's grounder to short.  With two outs and two runners in scoring position, reliever Chris Murphy ends the threat when he fans Brett Baty swinging at a well executed slider.  Murphy then strikes out the side in the seventh.  In relief of Murphy, Osvaldo De La Rosa retires the Cyclones in order in the eighth.  With Lowell's Kris Jackson in to pitch the ninth, Joe Genord greets him with a blast off the top of the left field wall, but the ball caroms perfectly to left fielder Will Dalton who turns and fires to second ahead of a sliding Genord.  After which both Jake Mangum and Brett Baty strike out ending the game.

GAME THREE
WEDNESDAY @ CONEY ISLAND