By Scott Hansen
Cyclones 6
Vermont 4
Aug. 16 at MCU Park
James “Papa” Roche hit his second home run in as many nights and Johnny Magliozzi pulled the Cyclones out of a late jam to pick up the save over Vermont on Friday.
The Clones fell behind the fictitious Lake Monsters1–0 early, but Roche quickly tied the game in the second with a dinger over the left field wall. The homer is Roche’s fourth of the year, which leads the team.
Brooklyn piled on three more runs in the third when Anthony Chavez singled and Vermont pitcher Lee Sosa walked the next three batters to send Chavez home. Jared King and Roche then hit two consecutive RBI singles to drive in Patrick “To Infinity and” Biondi and Gavin Cecchini for the big cushion.
The Lake monsters cut into the lead with two runs in the sixth and put the Cyclones in a jam in the eighth by getting two runners on base with no outs. But Magliozzi entered and retired all six batters he saw for the save.
Magliozzi said entering games in a jam is what he thrives on.
“I really like coming in with runners on,” he said. “I like jams and situations like that. It’s really fun.”
The Clones will play Vermont again tonight at 6 pm to try and close the gap with first place Aberdeen, who also won, keeping their two-game lead on the second-place Clones in the battle for the McNamara Division title and a trip to the playoffs.
Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park (Surf Avenue and W. 16th Street in Coney Island, www.brooklyncyclones.com) on Aug. 16 at 7 pm.
Follow the Cyclones all season long at brooklynpaper.com/sections/sports/cyclones/
