Cyclones 2
Williamsport 1
July 6 at MCU Park
Not many games are won with three hits, but a 10th-inning throwing error by Crosscutters pitcher Anthony Sequieira gave the Cyclones a 2–1 victory and a sweep of the three-game series.
Michael Bernal, pinch-hitting for Oswald Caraballo, drew a leadoff walk to open the tenth. Jeff Diehl was inserted as a pinch-runner and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Alfredo Reyes.
Tucker Tharp grounded back to the pitcher, but Sequieira’s throw to third base was off the mark and Diehl came home with the winning run.
It was the fourth error of the game for Williamsport. Brooklyn scored the first run of the game in the sixth when Tharp hit a grounder to third baseman Jan Hernandez, who threw the ball into the Cyclones dugout, scoring Reyes from second.
A miscommunication between skipper Tom Gamboa and third base coach Edgardo Alfonzo cost the Cyclones. With Tharp at third and one out, a suicide squeeze backfired when Vinny Siena failed to lay down a bunt and Tharp was tagged out at home.
“We had a coaching snafu. This is the first time I’ve never coached third and Fonzie loves doing it,” Gamboa said. “His future is in front of him and mine is behind me, so we had a miscommunication on our signs. Him and I have to work that out. Certainly with three and four, Siena and Thompson, we wouldn’t be squeezing.”
Tyler Badamo allowed an unearned run in the seventh. Josh Tobias tripled with one out and then Jesus Posso reached on an error by Alfredo Reyes. The shortstop couldn’t corral a ground ball which the official scorer felt would have been the second out of the inning.
Austin Bossart’s fly ball to left became a game-tying sac fly instead of the third out of the inning.
Corey Taylor, Alex Palsha and Christian Montgomery each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
“I can’t say enough about our pitching once again,” the skipper said. “Not only Badamo, but look at what Taylor did, and what Palsha did, and then Montgomery striking out the side after an error put him in trouble. Quality relief pitching.”
Montgomery picked up his second win of the year with a scoreless tenth. He struck out three with a single and an error mixed in. The error, a dropped pop-up, was the second of the game for Reyes and his sixth of the season.
“We’re going to have a talk with Reyes,” Gamboa said. “We’re not happy with his, let’s say his style, of play. He’s getting a little bit too nonchalant. People are going to make errors, we can’t be dropping a pop-up. That could have very easily cost the game. Montgomery’s pitching his a– off out there, and to drop a routine pop-up because he’s trying to style it, that doesn’t fly. Fonzie and I are going to have a talk with him.”
The Cyclones will be back in action on Wednesday at Hudson Valley for a 7:05 pm game with the Renegades.
UPS AND DOWNS
Williamsport, managed by 1992 World Series Most Valuable Player Pat Borders, came into the series 13–1, but leaves Coney Island 13–4 after getting swept.
Three balls that Tucker Tharp put in play became errors. He advanced to second on a miscue by the left fielder and two other errors led to runs.
