Emperors Stun Cyclones, 8-7, After Five-Run Bottom of the Eighth
May 8, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release
Rome Emperors on game night
(Rome Emperors)
ROME, GA - Nick Ward's two-out, two RBI single in the eighth was the difference in Wednesday night's 8-7 win over the Brooklyn Cyclones. It was the penultimate hit in Rome's five-hit, five-run bottom of the eighth inning that saw ten Emperors come to the plate.
Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. reached base safely in the first following a missed catch error on Brooklyn's Ryan Clifford. Sabin Ceballo's fifth double of the year put him and Kilpatrick on second and third for Ethan Workinger who grounded out 5-to-3 to plate Rome's first run. Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the third, E.J. Exposito's sixth double of the season plated Zebrowski who had walked the at-bat prior. That marked E.J.'s sixth straight game with a run driven in.
The first of two clutch Nick Ward singles came in the fifth. A two-out RBI single to right tied the ball game at three, bringing in Ethan Workinger who had reached on a walk. That got starter Owen Murphy off the hook who struck out eight 'Clones over 5.0 innings of work.
Schanaman would get roughed up in the seventh. Two doubles and a two-run homerun put Brooklyn ahead 6-3. Johnson, who would wind up with the win, gave up an unearned run in the eighth as well.
The eighth began with a trio of one-out singles from Clarno, Kilpatrick, and Ceballos. After a Workinger groundout, Zebrowski singled ahead of back-to-back walks to Exposito and Tavarez which brought up Ward would deliver big time.
Tomorrow's ballgame is set for 7:00pm EDT. Probable starters are Brooklyn's Brandon Sproat and Rome's Spencer Schwellenbach.
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 Rome Emperors on game night |
South Atlantic League Stories from May 8, 2024
- Emperors Stun Cyclones, 8-7, After Five-Run Bottom of the Eighth - Rome Emperors
- Clifford, McLean's Big Days Not Enough in Heartbreaking Defeat, 8-7 - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Cerny Hits Fifth Homer, Drives in Three - Asheville Tourists
- IronBirds Edge Renegades, 6-5 - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Drive, Crawdads Wednesday Game Suspended; Doubleheader Tomorrow - Greenville Drive
- Jonah Tong Ready for the Next Challenge - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Grasshoppers Fall to the Hot Rods in First Game of Away Series - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Hot Rods and Grasshoppers Rained out Wednesday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Renegades Game Notes - Hudson Valley Renegades
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