BKN Cyclones ~ Staten Island Takes Game One

From the desk of:  THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Boardwalk Bummer; Brooks Suffer a Letdown by the Seashore.

STATEN ISLAND YANKEES TAKE GAME ONE.
SERIES SHIFTS TO THE BALLPARK at SAINT GEORGE.


A run in the second inning and another in the eighth was all it took for Staten Island to dispatch Brooklyn in the long delayed Opening Game of the first round playoff series between the two McNamara Division foes.


Staten Island's starting pitcher; Matthew Tracey; silenced the Cyclones over his six innings pitched, and allowed them their only two hits of the night.  He walked one Cyclone and struck out four in earning tonight's playoff victory.  The bullpen took over in the seventh and kept the Cyclones quiet the rest of the way.  Yankee reliever, Branden Pinder pitched a two inning save and also struck out four Cyclones batters.


For his part, Cyclones' starter; Marcos Camarena; was stellar for Brooklyn.  But he was foiled by the one earned run he allowed Staten Island in the second inning.  Otherwise, he allowed six Yankee hits and struck out nine batters over his six innings Thursday night.  Reliever, Orlando Tovar got touched up in the eighth when Staten Island scored their second run.


Yankee third baseman; Chris Austin; went 2 for 4; with an RBI.  And catcher; Nick McCoy, drove in the other Staten Island run of the night.


But that's all the Baby Bombers needed tonight in the Ballpark at Coney Island.  Only Charlie Thurber and Brian Harrison managed hits for Brooklyn and thus they fell by a final score of 2-0; and go down in the series 0-1 as the playoffs now move to Staten Island for game two; and a third game if needed.


The Cyclones enjoyed the season head-to-head match-up against the Yankees this past regular season.  But now they are forced to tie the series in game two, and win game three in order to advance into the championship round if they are to have any hopes of winning the franchise's second title.

GAME TWO

Best of Three Series

BROOKLYN CYCLONES (0-1)

vs.

Staten Island Yankees (1-0)

FROM

Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George

Staten Island, NYC

HOME of the BABY BOMBERS

Mike.BTB

BKN Cyclones ~ Bullpen Is An Early Season Force

From the desk of:  THE CONEY ISLAND NINE


BROOKLYN CYCLONES:  Young Bums Making Sweet Music.


This is Class-A Short Season, so let's give today's pitching some perspective.  If Tuesday's starting pitcher had pitched all nine innings, his line would look like this:


9 ~ innings; complete game.
5 ~ hits.
0 ~ runs; shut out.
1 ~ walk.
6 ~ strikeouts.


That's the kind of night Cyclone pitchers had against the Aberdeen Iron Birds in the rubber game of a three game trip to Maryland.  Brooklyn won the series two games to one.  They improved their record to 8-4 and remain in second place behind Staten Island by 1.5 games.


Carlos Vasquez pitched the first five innings against Aberdeen.  He allowed them only two hits and struck out two.  It was his first victory of the season.


The Brooklyn bullpen has established itself as an early season force.  Coach Frankie-V has em all making sweet music together. 


Tuesday they took care of the remaining four innings after Vasquez left the game.  Orlando Tovar pitched the sixth inning with one hit against him and two strikeouts.  Then, Hunter Carnevale was summoned to play Fireman in the old sense of the word.  He protected the Cyclones' 1-0 lead in the seventh; eighth; and for two outs into the ninth.  He was stellar allowing only a hit; one walk; and striking out one.  T.J. Chism chose the bumpy road but got the last out and his 3rd save of the season.


Brooklyn's lone run of the game came in the second inning off a pair of doubles by Richard Lucas and Charles Thurber. The Cyclones were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position but Thurber delivered the all-important two out hit/RBI.   Brandon Brown and Brian Harrison managed the only other two hits for the Cyclones.


The Kids will be in Coney Island tomorrow for the start of a home-and-home series with Hudson Valley.



Mike.BTB