Ironbirds 3
Cyclones 4 (10 inns.)
Thursday, Aug. 26 at MCU Park
The Cyclones executed a miracle comeback, tying the game with runs in the eighth and ninth inning to send it into extra innings, where they won it in the 10th.
Just when it looked like the Cyclone bats had fallen permanently asleep after just two hits over the first seven innings, the team arose from the dead.
Brooklyn got on the board first, thanks to Darrell Ceciliani’s leadoff double, his 18th of the season, and a subsequent groundout by Jeff Flagg.
After that, it was all Aberdeen.
Starter A.J. Pinera was solid, giving up just five hits in six innings, but was victimized by errors, making only one of the three Aberdeen runs earned. Of course, he can blame himself. His fourth inning wild pitch scored a run, and his fifth inning error set up two more.
But back came the never-say-die Cyclones, getting a run in the eighth on a nifty double-steal, with Flagg stealing second and Cory Vaughn swiping home. Flagg took third on an error, but Joe Bonfe struck out to end the rally.
In the ninth, Will Cherry’s homer tied the score.
And in the 10th, Ceciliani ledoff with a walk off homer for the victory. The crowd — and the Cyclones — went wild!
The homer made a winner out of reliever Johan Figuereo, who pitched two no-hit innings with three strikeouts.
The win raised the Cyclones’ home record to 24-6 on the season
