FISHKILL, NY — The Brooks have done it again.
With a 3-2 win over the second-place Hudson Valley Renegades Thursday night, the Brooklyn Cyclones locked up the McNamara Division — a feat they’ve accomplished three times in their four-year history.
The first round of the playoffs begins Monday night at Keyspan Park, at 7 pm, against the Tri-City Valley Cats, the Stedler Division champs.
On Thursday, the Cyclones began the scoring in the second inning when, with one out, Jim Burt singled, Dante Brinkley walked and Jesus Flores knocked in Burt with a single to center.
The Renegades tied things up in the fourth when Cyclones starter Joe Williams allowed a double to Pat Cottrell who later scored on Jake Ritchie’s single to left.
In the fifth inning, Brooklyn regained the lead when Matt Fisher doubled home Grant Psomas, who had reached on a wild pitch strikeout and was later sacrificed to second.
But Hudson Valley again came back, scoring a tally in the bottom of the seventh off Cyclones reliever Chuck Smith. Pinch hitter Shaun Cumberland singled to center, advanced to second on a bunt,went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chad Cooper off Eddy Camacho, who had replaced Smith.
The Cyclones answered right back in the eighth. Tyler Davidson’s one-out liner was misplayed by Cumberland in right, allowing Davidson to cruise into second. The big first baseman’s attempt to make it to third on the play resulted in a throwing error by Renegade shortstop Salvador Paredes, which allowed Davidson to score the go-ahead run.
Camacho pitched a scoreless eighth and a perfect ninth to earn the victory — the Clones 42nd of the season against 30 losses — good enough for the third-best record in the New York-Penn League.
— with Vince DiMiceli
September 4 , 2004 issue
