Cyclones 11
Auburn 4
June 29 in Auburn
Michael Bernal fell a single short of the cycle in an 11–4 drubbing of the Doubledays.
The Cyclones scored three times in the first, with Bernal right in the middle of the action reaching on a double and coming around to score.
Matt Blackham surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first, but the Cyclones put the game out of reach with a run in the fourth and five more in the fifth, including Bernal’s two-run homer.
Auburn’s two-out rally in the fifth made the score 9-4 and Tom Gamboa — going by the book instead of his gut — removed Blackham one out before he could qualify for a win, as Blackham had reached his limit of 90 pitches. Cyclone pitchers are allowed to stay in if they reach 90 in the middle of a batter, and Blackham finished with 93.
Instead, Gaither Bumgardner picked up his second win, throwing hust one-and-one-third innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.
Joan Baez was the losing pitcher, giving up three runs in the first.
The Cyclones added two runs back in the sixth on David Thompson’s triple and Michael Katz sacrifice fly.
Ruben Reyes, Christian Montgomery, and Corey Taylor each pitched an inning of scoreless relief for Brooklyn.
Bernal finished three-for-four with two runs batted in and three runs scored.
Zach Mathieu went two-for-three, driving in three and scoring once. He was also hit by a pitch.
Vinny Siena picked up two hits, David Thompson had a hit, run, and two runs batted in, and Tucker Tharp drove in two runs.
UPS AND DOWNS
Mariano Rivera III, the eponymous son of the Yankee legend, gave up one run in three innings of relief for Auburn. He struck out one, pitching in the second, third, and fourth innings.
The Cyclones are now a season-high four games over .500. Brooklyn and Doubledays finish a three-game set tonight in Auburn at 7:05 pm.
