Brooklyn Cyclones Split Twin Bill at Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

CONEY ISLAND vs. JERSEY SHORE; 2-2

I - BK 14; JS 5

II - JS 3; BK 1

III - BK 4; JS 0

IV - JS 3; BK 0

Back on the field after Thursday's rainout, the Cyclones and Blue Claws on Friday evening played two at Jersey Shore.

GAME ONE - Making his tenth start for Brooklyn, right-hander Justin Lasko yields five hits (all singles) and three walks with seven strikeouts over 5.2 scoreless innings pitched for the win.  He faces 23 batters while throwing 95 pitches, with 54 (56.8%) going for strikes.  Right-hander Bryce Montes de Oca continues with 1.1 scoreless innings to complete the shutout.  He allows just one hit and strikes out three to earn his fourth save.  Catcher Francisco Alvarez doubles in the fourth and scores on Zach Ashford's base hit.  In the fifth, LT Struble draws a leadoff walk and eventually scores on a ground ball double-play.  Afterwhich,  Ronny Mauricio connects for his 14th home run this season.  LT Struble again leads off the seventh with a walk, steals second, and scores giving the Cyclones a 4-0 final margin of victory, their eighth in their last nine games. 

GAME TWO - Making only his second start for Brooklyn, 22-year old J.T. Ginn toes the slab and is opposed by Ethan Lindow for the Blue Claws.  Right fielder Jhailyn Ortiz opens the scoring when he tags up from third on a sacrifice fly in the second.  Shortstop Jonathan Guzman leads off the third with a double and scores, and catcher Vito Friscia drives home another giving the Blue Claws a 3-1 lead after the third.  Ethan Lindow sets down Brooklyn in order in the fifth while limiting them to just two hits.  J.T. Ginn also negotiates a scoreless fifth, inducing an inning-ending 5-4-3 double-play.  With only six outs left in the contest, the Cyclones manage just two hits in the ninth, which go for naught when Luis Gonzalez bounces into a rally-killing 5-4-3 double-play.  J.T. Ginn takes the loss upon yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Ethan Lindow goes the distance, allowing just four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts for the win.

Brooklyn Cyclones Split Twin Bill at Aberdeen

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Aberdeen Ironbirds lead Brooklyn Cyclones; 2-1

I - ABD 7; BKN 3

II - ABD 2; BKN 1

III - BKN 7; ABD 6

GAME ONE - Brooklyn starter Jose Butto is the hard-luck loser in a tightly contested affair at Aberdeen.  He yields two earned runs on five hits, only one for extra bases, one walk with nine strikeouts through six innings pitched.  After trading runs in the second inning, the Ironbirds score in the fourth for a 2-1 final margin of victory.  Left fielder Cody Bohanek accounts for Brooklyn's lone run in the second inning with this third home this season.  Led by starter Kevin McGee, three Aberdeen pitchers join together in limiting Brooklyn to one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts.  Right-hander Clayton McGinness earns the win in relief of McGee.  Designated hitter this game,  Francisco Alvarez accounts for two of Brooklyn's four hits, and LT Struble the other.

• FINAL: BKN 1; ABD 2
• BOXSCORE
  

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GAME TWO (Make-Up 5/30/21) - The second contest is a more wild and wooly affair.  Brooklyn erupts for five runs in the third.  Aberdeen starter Kade Strowd walks the bases loaded.  With one out, Luke Ritter singles home Jose Mena.  After a pitching change, Cody Bohanek doubles home two runs.  Still, with one out and two runners in scoring position, right fielder Zach Ashford delivers home both runners.  The Cyclones add a pair in the third on Ronny Mauricio's two-run home run; his eighth this season.  Afterwhich, it becomes a matter of holding on.  Aberdeen scores two runs on four hits in the sixth and rallies in the seventh for three more runs on four hits and a walk.  With the tying run standing on second base, Mitch Ragan pitching in Conner O'Neil's relief secures the final out.  The Ironbirds fall a run short as Brooklyn gains a twin bill split.  Cyclone starter Jaison Vilera yields three earned runs on five hits and one walk through five innings pitched.  He finally earns his first victory of this season against five losses and an unsightly 9.16 ERA.  Mitch Ragan earns his second save.  Brett Baty and Ritter lead Brooklyn with two hits apiece.

• FINAL: ABD 6; BKN 7 *Cyclones home team
• RECORD: 17-31 (.354)
• BOXSCORE 

Pitching and the Long Ball Lift Brooklyn Cyclones Over Jersey Shore

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Jersey Shore @ Coney Island tied; 2-2

I - JS 7; BK 5

II - BK 3; JS 2

III - JS 3; BK 0

IV - BK 7; JS 2

BOXSCORE

Francisco Alvarez Homers in Return to Lineup; Cyclones Even Series

Now that's more like it..!

Jersey Shore promptly takes a 2-0 lead in the first inning on catcher Logan O'Hoppe's two-run home run.

Afterwhich, Brooklyn hurlers surrender just four scattered hits the rest of the way.  After the first inning, Cyclones southpaw  Cam Opp regroups, allowing just one more hit and one walk with three strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched for the win.  He faces game-high 22 batters, throwing 74 pitchers with 42 (56.7%) going for strikes.  Relievers Josh Hejka and Allan Winans join together for 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Starting the game at first and finishing in left field, Jeremy Vasquez goes 2 for 3 with a home run in the second and a team-high three runs batted in.  Making his return to the lineup, catcher Francisco Alvarez is 1 for 3 with a home run in the eighth, his fifth this season, and two runs batted in, and LT Struble goes 2 for 4 also with two runs batted in.  Cody Bohanek, starting at third place in place of Brett Baty, gives Long Island three players with multiple hits.

With Friday's victory, the Cyclones knot the series at two.

But you know I can't let them off the hook so easily.  Despite ten hits, the Surf Avenue Sluggers whiffed ten times and drew just three walks.

Brooklyn Cyclones: Jose Mena Thrills Coney Island Crowd With Game Winning Hit In Tenth

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

GAME TWO
Jersey Shore  2

Coney Island  3

10 innings

Brooklyn Battery Powers Cyclones To Victory In Game Two  

Stellar pitching and Jose Mena's game-winning hit in the eleventh sends the Coney Island crowd home in a delighted state of mind.  Goes to show good things come to those who wait.

Jersey Shore and Brooklyn duel to a scoreless tie through five.  Toeing the rubber for the Blue Claws,  Ethan Lindow yields just four hits and strikes out five.  For the Cyclones, Alec Kisena similarly allows just four hits with six strikeouts before exiting with one out in the sixth.  While inheriting a runner at second in relief of Kisena, Eric Orze closes out the top half of the frame unscathed.  Meanwhile, Lindow continues the mission with a scoreless bottom half of the sixth.

Eric Orze retires Jersey Shore in the top of the seventh, striking out DH Herbert Iser for out number three.  For the BlueClaws, right-hander Mark Potter takes over pitching duties from Lindow, who exits having allowed just five hits, just one for extra bases.  Suddenly, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, LT Struble bunts for a base hit, then steals second base.  Next up, Antoine Duplantis lined a triple to center field, scoring Struble with the go-ahead run.  Unfortunately, Duplantis is left stood at third base.

Like an omen, third baseman Brett Baty's errant throw to first base opens the eighth.  With one out, Eric Orze issues a walk and then walks another to load the bases.  Brooklyn makes a change, and with one out into the game comes Mitch Ragan.  The Cyclones come close to executing a 5-4-3 double-play, but a safe call at first and the lead runner scoring from third knots the game at one.  

Jersey Shore right-hander Mike Adams is called upon to pitch the bottom of the eighth.  He pitches himself into, then out of potential trouble, and into the ninth inning, they go.

With one out in the top of the frame, Jose Mena (starting in place of dinged-up Francisco Alvarez) throws out an attempted steal of second.  Mitch Ragan then fans Herbert Iser for the third out.  In turn, Jersey's Andrew Brown throws a scoreless home half of the ninth, sending this contest into extra innings.

Mitch Ragan returns to the bump but does not hold.  The BlueClaws pull the old pinch-runner for the phantom runner who scores on consecutive sacrifice flies routine for a one-run advantage.

Then, facing Andrew Brown, Brooklyn loads the bases with the phantom runner, Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty HBP, and a walk to Luke Ritter.  After a mound visit, Andrew Brown walks Joe Genord tying the game at two.  Still, with no outs, Jose Mena wields a line-drive single to right field, Brett Baty scores the winning run.

Mitch Ragan earns the win.  Brooklyn evens the battle of the beaches at one.

• BOXSCORE