[THE RIDE] Disastrous inning dooms Cyclones in fourth straight loss

See this story at BrooklynPaper.com.

By David Russell

for Brooklyn Paper

Hudson Valley 5 Cyclones 2

July 9 at MCU Park

The Renegades scored four times in the eighth inning as the Cyclones fell 5–2 on Saturday at MCU Park.

“Another rough one for us,” manager Tom Gamboa said. “I thought we were going to turn one around tonight. We almost did.”

Hudson Valley wasted no time scoring, jumping out to a one-run lead as Ryan Boldt led off the game with a single and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s two-out hit.

The Renegades started hot, but missed several chances to extend the lead. With runners on the corners and one out in the third, Cyclones starter Harol Gonzalez got Lowe to ground into a 3-6-1 double play.

In the sixth, Hudson Valley loaded the bases with one out, but Bill Pujols struck out and Daniel De La Calle grounded out on a ball to third. Then, in the seventh, Ali Sanchez threw out Boldt attempting to steal third for the second out of the stanza. Brooklyn reliever Austin McGeorge followed with a scoreless seventh inning.

It took a few innings for Brooklyn’s offense to hit its stride.

Jose Alonzo tossed five shutout innings for Hudson Valley, but the Cyclones finally broke through against Porter Clayton in the seventh. Pete Alonso – making his Cyclones debut – doubled to left and scored on Blake Tiberi’s triple to deep right. Ali Sanchez put the Cyclones ahead with a single to right through the drawn-in infield.

The lead didn’t last long. Adam Atkins plunked Jim Haley to begin the eighth and Miles Mastrobuoni followed with a single. Perez bunted into a force out as the Cyclones got the lead out at third.

Pujols tied the game with a run-scoring single to right. Perez moved to third and Pujols took second on the throw.

A passed ball by Ali Sanchez scored Perez with the go-ahead run. De La Calle then tripled into the right field corner, scoring Pujols. Finally, a run-scoring single from Boldt made it 5–2.

“Nobody feels worse than Atkins right now,” Gamboa said. “He had three solid outings, hadn’t given up a hit in pro ball and, boy, today the roof caved in. Against a team like this, to hit the first guy after we just turned it around and took a lead, it just opened the gates for a disastrous inning.”

The 9–13 Cyclones look to avoid a sweep when they host Hudson Valley at 1 pm.

UPS AND DOWNS

The Cyclones are 8–1 on Sunday-Tuesday and 1–12 from Wednesday to Saturday.

2014 Cyclone Amed Rosario was named to the 2016 Futures Game in San Diego. The shortstop is hitting .425 in Double-A.

Follow the Cyclones all season long at brooklynpaper.com/sections/sports/cyclones

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[THE RIDE] Disastrous inning dooms Cyclones in fourth straight loss : Brooklyn Paper