SAL Wilmington Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks Split Doubleheader with Brooklyn

Published on June 15, 2022 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


The Wilmington Blue Rocks went 1-1 for their doubleheader against the Brooklyn Cyclones on Wednesday, June 15, in the second and third games of the teams' eight-game series.

Wilmington started the night strong after a sac-fly by Nick Banks sent Ricardo Mendez home for what would be the only run until the top of the third. Banks was sent down from the Rochester Red Wings on rehab assignment as of Saturday, June 11.

In the top of the fifth, the Mets' High A team made up for their five scoreless innings with a home run from Brooklyn's shortstop, Shervyen Newton. This was Newton's third home run of the season, and effectively put Brooklyn in the lead 3-1 after Newton, Jose Peroza and Jaylen Palmer ran home.

Brooklyn furthered the division between the two teams in the top of the seventh with a Matt Rudick double that sent in Palmer once more. Although Wilmington attempted to make a comeback with a home run from Omar Meregildo- his tenth of the season - Brooklyn took the game 4-2.

Cyclones starting pitcher, Junior Santos was declared the victor for his 50 strikes thrown over 84 pitches and four strikeouts, while Wilmington's starting pitcher, Rodney Theophile was handed the loss.

Despite the loss of the first game, the Blue Rocks didn't let that impact their momentum in the second. Yasel Antuna was the first to capitalize on this momentum with a double to send Darren Baker home. With Antuna on base, he ran home on a RBI single from Pineda to set the score 2-0.

However, Brooklyn refused to relinquish their winner's mindset from the previous game, and answered back in the second inning with a double by Brandon McIlwain that had Justin Guerrera tallying the team's first run of the night.

Their second run of the night came at the bottom of the second. After being walked to first, first baseman Warren Saunder came home on a triple by Tannar Murphy to tie the game 2-2.

Wilmington refused to drop their aggression, stealing three bases in the top of the third. Two of these came from second baseman Darren Baker- including when he stole home to push the Blue Rocks 3-2. Meregildo then singled on a ground ball down center field which sent Antuna home and pushed the team's lead by two points.

Blue Rocks' Kevin Strohschein kept up with the base-stealing during the top of the fourth inning, which put him in the position to score another run for Wilmington after an RBI single from shortstop Cole Daily.

Despite Wilmington's back-to-back scoring, the Brooklyn Cyclones refused to concede, putting up three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI from Murphy and a two-RBI double from Newton to tie the score 5-5.

In a change of pace, the fifth inning remained scoreless but the Blue Rocks were swift to secure their lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Darren Baker got the inning started with a ground ball to left field that sent Strohschein home and placed Baker on first. Antuna would send both Baker and Daily in to make the game 8-5, placing the Blue Rocks in a secure position to prevent a walk-off victory for the Cyclones.

To place the final nail in the coffin, Daily would hit an RBI single to bring Strohschein in and finish the game 9-5 in the Blue Rocks' favor.

The Blue Rocks' relief pitcher Tyker Yankosky was credited with the win after he threw 22 strikes over 32 pitches and struck out two players. Cam Opp, relief pitcher for the Brooklyn Cyclones, was handed the loss after he allowed three runs.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Brooklyn Cyclones will face off once more on Thursday, June 16, for their fourth game of the season. First pitch will occur at 6:35 p.m.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 15, 2022


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