Brooklyn Cyclones Win Pressure-Packed Thriller at Wilmington

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

FRAWLEY STADIUM

Brooklyn vs. Wilmington

I - WIL 9; BKN 3

II - BKN 8; WIL 1

III - BKN 7; WIL 6*

IV - WIL 7; BKN 1

V - WIL 4; BKN 2

VI - BKN 6; WIL 5

Cyclones Stage Ninth-Inning Comeback; Retake First Place

The Brooklyn Cyclones kicked up their playoff chase another notch.  Trailing 4-5 entering the top of the ninth at Frawley Stadium, right fielder Matt Rudick picked an excellent time to hit his second home run this season - a two-run home run to straightaway center field.  Right-hander Daison Acosta hurled a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to close the victory and earn his third win.  After two scoreless frames, Brooklyn opened the scoring.  With two outs in the top of the third, center fielder Alex Ramirez singled home two runs.  In the home half, however, Gregory Guerrero's second-base error jump-started a four-run rally, all unearned.  The Cyclones were quick to answer with two in the fourth on hits by Jaylen Palmer and Rudick.  But Wilmington again seized the lead with a run in the fifth.  Afterwhich, the score remained unchanged until Matt Rudick stepped to the plate in the ninth.  Relievers Oscar Rojas, Nolan Clenney, and Acosta held the Blue Rocks scoreless through the final five innings.  Brooklyn salvages a series split with Wilmington.  Moreover, they lead the SAL North division by one-half game over the Hudson Valley Renegades, who lost Sunday against the Aberdeen Ironbirds.  BOXSCORE