Aberdeen 9
Cyclones 1
Aug. 1 in Aberdeen
Cyclones pitchers Luis De Los Santos, Connor O’Neil, Marcel Renteria, and Joe Napolitano allowed sixteen hits and nine runs combined to the Ironbirds while the boys’ bats were held to seven hits and one run as the Clones one-game winning streak came to an end.
The Ironbirds scored one run in four of the game’s first five innings. In the first, Luke Ringhofer singled with runners on the corners to score Ben Breazeale. In the second, Jaylen Ferguson singled to score Ryan Ripken. In the fourth, Trevor Craport singled with bases loaded to score Irving Ortega. In the fifth, Ripken singled to score Garrett Copeland from second.
The Ironbirds doubled their score in the next two innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Craport tripled to left field to score Zach Jerrett from third. After Ben Breazeale walked, T.J. Nichting grounded into a force out at second to score Craport, making it 6–0.
In the bottom of the seventh, Copeland and Irving Ortega hit singles before Renteria threw a wild pitch to advance them to third and second. Jarett then grouned out to score Copeland and advance Ortega to third. After manager Edgardo Alfonzo replcaed Renteria with Napolitano, Ferguson singled to score Ortega to make it 8–0.
The Ironbirds still weren’t done. In the bottom of the eighth, Nichting led off with a single before Ringhofer followed with another single to put Nichting on third. Copeland then grounded out to score Nichting to make it 9–0.
The Clones had been silent all night, but avoided the shutout in the ninth. After Carl Stajduhar walked and Jose Maria reached on a throwing error made by Craport to advance Stajduhar to third, Scott Manea grounded out to score Stajduhar, but they couldn’t manage any more late-game heroics.
This embarrassing blowout now puts the Cyclones at a miserable 13–28. Meanwhile, the Hudson Valley Renegades split a doubleheader with the hated Staten Island Yankees, and the Cyclones now how have a six-game lead over their upstate foes in the only race that matters in the McNamara Division, the “Battle for Basement.”
The Cyclones take on the Tri-City ValleyCats tonight at MCU Park at 7 pm.
