Staten Island 10
Cyclones 7
Aug. 11 at MCU Park
The Cyclones fought back from a three-run deficit but fell 10–7, in 12 innings to the hated Staten Island Yankees.
Brooklyn now trails the Evil Empire of the New York-Penn League by a game and a half in the McNamara Division.
Craig Missigman took the loss, giving up three runs, one earned, in the 12th.
“In fairness to Missigman, who I thought did great in the 10th and 11th, he really shouldn’t have been out there with his pitch count — but once again, we were out of pitching,” Tom Gamboa said.
Staten Island put two runners on with a walk and an error by Enmanuel Zabala. Jhalan “Action” Jackson drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and Brandon Wagner added a run-scoring double.
A third run scored as Brandon Brosher dropped a throw from Alfredo Reyes on a play at the plate.
Pedro Perez actually came in to record the third out of the inning.
“I credit their hitters, but when Missigman went out there for the third inning, I can’t say that I was optimistic,” Gamboa said.
After Staten Island took a 1–0 lead in the second, the Cyclones answered back with Zach Mathieu’s two-run double and Vinny Siena’s run-scoring single.
The Yankees took advantage of two Brooklyn mistakes to tie the game in the fourth. With a runner at second and one out, Jackson grounded a ball to David Thompson. The throw was off the mark and Jackson knocked the ball out of Mathieu’s glove.
The run scored and Jackson moved to third. Jackson would score on a passed ball by Brosher.
Cyclones starter Andrew Church ran out of gas in the sixth.
Thairo Estrada led off with a double and Kevin Cornelius followed with a home run, several pitched after he was knocked down.
Junior Valera doubled to end Church’s night.
With Carlos Valdez on the mound, Valera stole third and scored on a wild pitch.
Brooklyn got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Siena’s two-out single scored Alfredo Reyes from second.
Staten Island scored in the seventh as Jeff Hendrix led off with a walk, moved to second on a bunt, and scored on Estrada’s single.
With two on and two out in the bottom the seventh, Mathieu crushed a three-run homer off Josh Roeder to tie the game at seven.
The Cyclones were happy to tie the game, but Gamboa didn’t like the chances of winning a marathon with a depleted pitching staff.
“I told everyone up and down the dugout once we tied it at seven, ‘we need to win this in nine innings.’ ”
Neither team would score until the Yankees broke through with three in the 12th.
Jose Mesa Jr. got the victory, pitching three shutout innings. The right-hander struck out Mathieu, Reyes and Tucker Tharp in the final inning.
The good news for the Cyclones is that they scored seven runs for the second game in a row. The skipper hopes it will carry over into the final third of the season.
“If this is indicative of the last third, we’re going to be tough to beat,” Gamboa said.
Siena and Zabala had three hits apiece. Mathieu and Siena combined for all seven runs batted in. Mathieu, Reyes and Tharp each had two hits.
The 25–25 Cyclones will host State College on Wednesday at 7 pm.
