Brooklyn Cyclones Lose Extra-Inning Pitcher's Duel to Wilmington

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Wilmington vs. Brooklyn

I - BKN 2; WIL 1

II - WIL 11; BKN 7

III - BKN 9; WIL 1

IV - WIL 1; BKN 0*

*10 innings

Cyclones Suffer Heartbreaking Loss; Cede First Place Back to Hudson Valley Renegades

With first place on the line, a crowd of 3,894 was made to wait out an old-fashioned pitcher's duel as both Wilmington and Brooklyn twirlers served up goose eggs for nine full innings.  

The Blue Rocks went the opener's route, with Evan Lee getting the start and exiting after allowing three hits and no walks with three strikeouts through the second inning.  Three relievers combined to limit the Cyclones to a pair of hits over the next seven innings.  

Brooklyn starter Dominic Hamel effectively hurled a gem, holding the Blue Rocks to three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts over seven scoreless innings.  Right-hander Nolan Clenney followed with four strikeouts in two scoreless frames.

Then into extra innings on Coney Island, they went.

Southpaw Nathan Lavender was tasked with pitching the tenth.  The ghost runner was bunted over to third, then scored on Cody Wilson's base hit - simple as that.  

In the bottom of the tenth, Wilmington's Orlando Ribalta set down the Cyclones in order and struck out Jaylen Palmer to end the game.

Coupled with Hudson Valley's victory over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Renegades regain a half-game lead ahead of the Cyclones with eight games left to play.  BOXSCORE