Cyclones Use The Force, Down Ironbirds 7-2
July 24, 2016 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Brooklyn Cyclones News Release
BROOKLYN, NY - July 23, 2016 - On Star Wars Night at MCU Park, the Cyclones bats came out in full FORCE, pounding out 12 hits including three home runs en route to a 7-2 win over the Aberdeen IronBirds at MCU Park. Pete Alonso went 2-for-2 with an opposite field home run and reached base in all four plate appearances to pace the Brooklyn bats.
RHP Justin Dunn, the Mets 1st Round Selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, made his first professional start and was impressive over his 3.0 innings on the mound. The righthander worked out of trouble a few times, allowing two hits and walk as well as two hit batters, but struck out five thanks to his lively fastball that topped out at 97 on the night.
With a first round pick on the mound, it was a second round pick that took center stage in the batter's box. Alonso opened the scoring on Saturday night with a rare-opposite field home run into the right field bleachers, plating a pair and giving the Cyclones a 2-0 advantage after three innings. Brooklyn tacked on another run in the fourth, this time courtesy of Desmond Lindsay's solo shot, to make it 3-0. Lindsay, the Mets first selection in the 2015 MLB Draft was making his 2016 Cyclones debut after beginning the year on the Disabled List with a hamstring injury.
RHP Nabil Crismatt took over on the mound in the fifth and took over the rest of the way, tossing 5.0 solid frames, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out 11 batters, a Cyclones record for a relief pitcher.
But while Crismatt was able to keep the IronBirds at bay, the Brooklyn bats were firing on all cylinders. With a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth the Brooklyn bats exploded for four runs on six hits, including an RBI single from Jacob Zanon. But the big blow came by way of a Darryl Knight three-run blast that made it 7-0 heading to the ninth. The IronBirds got a two-run home run from Mike Odwenwaelder with one out in the ninth to prevent the shutout and make the final 7-2.
With the victory, the Cyclones won their first home series in nearly a month, setting the stage for a showdown with the cross-bridge rival Staten Island Yankees starting on Sunday afternoon. LHP Thomas Szapucki will make his Cyclones debut after burning up the Appalachian League with the Kingsport Mets to start the season. The 20-year-old southpaw went 2-1 with a 0.62 ERA, allowing just two earned runs in 29.0 innings while striking out a whopping 47 batters over his five starts with the K-Mets. Sunday will also be Mike Piazza Hall of Fame Day at MCU Park with gates opening at 1:00 PM and a special viewing party of the Induction Ceremony courtesy of MLB Network. There will also be a special Hot Dog Happy Hour, featuring $1 hot dogs from 1:00 - 2:00 PM, as well as a vintage baseball exhibition game and a chance for fans to participate in a pre-game catch. All of that, plus a Jersey off the Back Raffle and kids run the bases post-game. It's a full day of fun at MCU Park with tickets, starting at just $10, still available at BrooklynCyclones.com
• Discuss this story on the New York-Penn League message board...
New York-Penn League Stories from July 24, 2016
- Doubledays Lose in Extras to Crosscutters - Auburn Doubledays
- Benedetti's Walk-Off Caps 6-5 Win over Vermont - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Tri-City 6, Lake Monsters 5 - Vermont Lake Monsters
- Renegades Rout IronBirds - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Lowell Defeats West Virginia 5-2 in 12 Innings - West Virginia Black Bears
- Hudzina's Four Hits Help Lead Spikes to 8-6 Win - State College Spikes
- Szapucki Shines In Cyclones Debut, Wins 3-0 - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Cyclones Use The Force, Down Ironbirds 7-2 - Brooklyn Cyclones
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Brooklyn Cyclones Stories
- Sproat Shines, But 'Clones Clipped by 'Claws
- SNY Adds Cyclones Games to Broadcast Schedule
- Lorusso's Walk-Off Solo Shot Caps Two HR Day as Cyclones Win Third Straight
- Osborn's Long Ball Propels Brooklyn to Doubleheader Sweep Saturday
- Consuegra Powers Brooklyn to Victory in Game One of Saturday's Doubleheader