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Cyclones extend streak to six, roll past Lake Monsters

Cyclones come back, take season-opener in extra innings
Photo by Steve Solomonson

Cyclones 8

Vermont 5

July 29 at Vermont

The boys from Brooklyn won their sixth in a row as the Cycloones took down Vermont 8–5 on Friday night.

Brooklyn jumped out to a quick lead as Gene Cone walked and both Michael Paez and Colby Woodmansee singled to load the bases with nobody out. Pete Alonso drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Blake Tiberi added another with a run-scoring groundout to give the Clones a 2–0 lead.

Vermont got one back in the bottom of the first. Luis Barrera worked a leadoff walk against Cyclones starter Merandy Gonzalez and scored on Nate Mondou’s single. Right fielder Jacob Zanon threw out Mondou as he tried for second base.

Cone led off the top of the third with a home run to right to make it 3–1. Paez and Woodmansee – who each finished with three hits – extended the lead with back-to-back doubles, giving Brooklyn a three-run cushion.

In the fourth, a two-out double from Paez scored Cone as the Cyclones took a 5–1 lead. Cone scored three runs in the victory. In the fifth, Blake Tiberi was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a single and scored on a Zanon sacrifice fly to make it 6–1.

Vermont starter Heath Bowers lasted four-and-one-third innings, giving up six runs on eight hits.

Gonzalez started strong, but lost his stuff in the sixth. A single and two walks loaded the bases and ended his night as Tom Gamboa called on Gabriel Feliz to get out of the jam. Tyler Ramirez greeted Feliz with a two-run double. With two outs, an infield single from Eli White scored a run and cut the lead to 6–4.

Feliz got out of the sixth and Austin McGeorge pitched a scoreless seventh.

Brooklyn scored some insurance runs in the eighth against Lake Monsters’ reliever Derek Beasley. Desmond Lindsay led off with a double and scored on Eli White’s throwing error. The miscue also allowed Zannon to, not only reach, but advance all the way to third. Zanon scored on a Jay Jabs sacrifice fly to give the Cyclones an 8–4 lead.

Taylor Henry pitched a scoreless eighth, but Joseph Zanghi made things a little interesting in the ninth. Vermont clawed back with a run after a walk and two wild pitches, but couldn’t quite mount the comeback as Brooklyn held on for the win.

Gonzalez improved to 3–2 on the mound, tossing five-plus innings and giving up four runs on six hits, while walking six and striking out four.

The 21–19 Cyclones will try to keep the win streak going and sweep the series when the squad takes on Vermont on Saturday at 6:05 pm.

UPS AND DOWNS

Brooklyn is now only two games behind the first-place Hudson Valley Renegades.

Gene Cone’s home run was his first as a Cyclone.

Follow the Cyclones all season long at brooklynpaper.com/sections/sports/cyclones