Cyclones Fall To The Evil Empire In Game One

While the bats were fast asleep last night, there were some pretty good pitching performances in the New York Penn League Division Series opener between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, their great pitching went to waste, as they succumbed to the bad guys by a score of 2-0.

The Yankees took the lead for good in the 2nd, with lead-off singles by 1B Reymond Nunez and then 2B Casey Stevenson. After a strikeout and a fly-out to RF, C Nick McCoy singled to LF to score Nunez with the only run the Yankees would need. The Yankees scored an unearned insurance run in the 8th when RF Benjamin Gamel singled with two out. When attempting to steal, Cyclones catcher Xorge Carrillo, threw the ball away at second to allow Gamel to take third. He then scored on a single by 3B Tyler Austin.

As an offense the Clones didn’t even show up last night, managing only two singles and two walks the entire game. LHP Matthew Tracy started for the Yankees and got the win, going six innings, and giving up just the two singles, before hitting the showers. The Cyclones faded into the Brooklyn night with nary a whimper as righty Branden Pinder pitched the 8th and 9th while striking out four, with nothing across.

A fine pitching performance by Marco Camarena went for naught. He left after six innings, on the hook for giving up one earned run, while striking out nine, and walking none. Chris Hilliard, Randy Fontanez, and Orlando Tovar pitched the last three innings, allowing just the one unearned run in the 8th.

The series now shifts to Staten Island for Games Two and Three (if necessary). Game Two probable starters are: hard throwing RHP Jeffrey Walters for the Cyclones, and RHP Bryan Mitchell for the Yankees.