Tri-City 10
Cyclones 6
Aug. 21 in Tri-City
It was a grand old time … but not for the Cyclones.
Our boys blew a 6–5 lead in the ninth when Clones reliever Joe Napolitano gave up a game-winning grand slam and the team fell for the 10th-straight time.
The Cyclones were oh-so-close to putting things away in the ninth. Napolitano got the first batter Andy Pineda to pop out. After surrendering a double to Bryan De La Cruz and intentionally walking J.J. Matijevic, Gabriel Bracamonte struck out swinging.
The Cyclones were one out away from snapping their nine-game skid, but a crucial mistake by Carl Stadjuhar wound up costing the game. Adrian Tovalin hit a grounder to Stadjuhar at third, but Stadjuhar couldn’t field it, as De La Cruz went on to score from second.
It only got worse from there. Michael Papierski was walked to load the bases, and finally, on an 0–2 count, Colton Shaver crushed one to left center field for a grand slam to end the game.
As if our boys spirits couldn’t be crushed enough, the loss puts them at 15–43 on the season, which further cements them in the last spot in the McNamara Division and in all of the league. They are also now 17-and-a-half games in back of the Hudson Valley Renegades — who are in second-to-last place.
Meanwhile, the hated, playoff-bound Staten Island Yankess sit atop the McNamara Division with a 38-20 record.
The Cyclones hope to end their longest skid of the season when they come home to take on the Renegades tonight at 7 pm.
