Vermont 10
Cyclones 9
Aug. 26 in Vermont
Reliever Andrew Mitchell gave up a run-scoring double to Jeremy Eierman as the Lake Monsters put the cap on a comeback win over our boys, who had a six-run before the New Englanders came to bat.
The Clones exploded in the first, when All-Star Ross Adolph, launched his sixth homer of the season to lead off the game. Carlos Cortez then doubled and, one out later, came home on Chris Chambers single. A single and a walk loaded the bases, and two more walks drove in two more runs before Manny Rodriguez’s single scored Brian Sharp. Adolph followed with a sacrifice fly, ending the scoring for the inning.
Vermont answered with one in the second and two in the fourth, cutting the lead to 6–3 before the Cyclones tacked on two more runs in the sixth on a Cortez homer that scored Adolph, who had singled and stole second.
But the Lake Monsters clandestinely swam back (as lake monsters do) in the bottom of the sixth, touching up starter Jaison Vilera and reliever Ryan McAuliffe for three runs, and putting the score at 8–6.
Vermont added a run in the seventh and another in the ninth to tie it at eight and sending the game to extra innings, a time in minor league baseball where the rules change in order to get people out of the ball park and safely home.
With an automatic runner Rodriguez on second, Adolph walked, Cortes bunted both runners over, and Wagner Legrange drove home Rodirguez on a fielder’s choice, giving the Clones a 9–9 lead.
But the Monsters answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring their own automatic runner and sending the game to the 11.
One inning later, the Lakers were able to drive home their stupid free runner, and all those Cyclones fans who made the trip to Vermont went home sad.
On the bright side, Brooklyn still sits in second place with 36–31 thanks to a loss from the Staten Island Yankees, and is half a game above the Auburn Doubledays in the first spot of the wild card. The Hudson Valley Renegades refuse to lose and have won three games in a row sitting in first with 40–27, five games up on our boys.
The Cyclones are back in action tonight at 7:05 pm in Vermont.
Go get ’em, boys!
