Tri-City 3
Cyclones 1
Aug. 3 at MCU Park
ValleyCat pitchers Juan Robles and Kit Scheetz held the Clones hitless until the ninth, but a late-game rally fell short in yet another loss.
The ValleyCats broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when J. J. Matijevic singled then advanced to second on a fielding error by right fielder Jose Miguel “Funky Cold” Medina. Michael Papiersi then grounded out to advance Matijevic to second before Colton Shaver singled to score him.
The ValleyCats added to the lead two innings later. After Cyclones reliever Jake Simon retired the first two batters, Adrian Tovalin tripled to right field. Simon threw a wild pitch on ball four to Jake Adams to score Tovalin.
In the ninth, After Kyle Davis struck out, it was about time for Jacob Meyers to hit a sharp grounder that was fielded impressively by Carl Stajduhar, but Stajduhar overthrew first to put Meyers on second. Bryan De La Cruz then singled to score Meyers.
Walter “Rabbi” Rasquin saved our boys from the no-hitter in the ninth. Rasquin tripled to lead off the inning before Quinn Brodey got an infield hit to score Rasquin, but that was all the Cyclones were going to get.
Manager Edgardo “Fonzie” Alfonzo believed the Cyclones needed to have a better approach at the plate.
“We were chasing bad pitches and when that happens, it’s not a good sign for us,” Fonzie said. “Both of the pitchers they put out tonight did the same thing — throw the first pitch as a strike, get it in the count, and be able to move around.”
This loss puts the Cyclones at a dreadful 14–29 on the season, but since the Hudson Valley Renegades split their double-header with the Lowell Spinners, Brooklyn’s Boys of Summer are “only” six games ahead of them in the “Battle for Basement,” dead last in the McNamara Division.
The Clones hope to take two out of three tonight at 6:40 pm at MCU Park.
