It doesn’t get much worse than this, Cyclone fans: A three-game sweep, and a fall from first place, at the hands of the Staten Island Yankes. Here’s how it all went down (literally):
Yankees 8
Cyclones 5
Thursday, July 1 at MCU Park
The Clones were on a roll against the Evil Empire of the New York-Penn League, jumping to a 3-1 lead, thanks to two RBIs by phenom Darrell Ceciliani, but starter Wes Wrenn was inconsistent — even giving up back-to-back solo shots in the fifth.
Wrenn (1–1, 3.71 ERA) put two men on in the sixth and was pulled for Ryan Fraser, who struck out two, but then threw one pitch wildly to let in one run, then was so rattled that he gave up a two-run single.
It was pretty much game over after that.
Ceciliani, who is batting .418; Cody Halliday, J.B. Brown, and Luis Nieves each had two hits in the loss, the Cyclones’ first at home this season.
Cyclones 1
Yankees 2 (10 inns.)
Friday, July 2 at Staten Island
Cyclone bats were mostly silent for vast portions of this tough loss to the hated Yankees. The Clones lone run came in the first inning, when Cody Holliday and Cory Vaughn singled, and, after a wild pitch, Jeff Flagg knocked in Holliday with a single.
The Cyclones had other chances, but could never get the timely hit.
Starter Mitchell Houck was solid, giving up just four hits in seven innings to lower his ERA to .87, but the Yankees won it in the 10th with a single off reliever Johan Figuereo.
Yankees 5
Cyclones 0
Saturday, July 3 at MCU Park
It was bad enough that the Cyclones got swept in a three-game series against the hated Staten Island Yankees, but the last game of the set was the worst.
Cyclone batters managed just five hits and were struck out 13 times in one of the worst drubbings of the young season.
In a highlight-free game, at least Jeff Flagg went 2-for-4, and relief pitcher Ryan Fraser pitched 1-2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out three.
The loss dropped the Cyclones into second place behind the hated Bombers.
