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BROOKLYN, NY-
Three runs in the first inning wouldn’t be enough to back a solid debut by Todd Privett, but thankfully the Cyclones
bats would come alive in the tenth inning behind a Danny Cummins bases-loaded single, defeating the Staten Island Yankees
5-4.
A recent call-up from Kingsport,
Privett pitched well enough to grant a call up, striking out 22 batters in 22.1 innings with a 4.03 ERA and would start his
first game for the Cyclones tonight. While he wouldn’t disappoint, his performance was on the mediocre side, giving
up three runs in five innings of work.
Getting multiple-hit games from Mark Wright,
Dustin Martin, Ivan Naccarata, and Tim Grogan last night, Brooklyn’s bats finally seemed ready
to catch fire on a more consistent basis. Tonight would be no different as RBI hits by Ivan Naccarata and Danny Cummins would
give them an early 2-0 lead. A Joe Holden RBI single in the 2nd inning would put the Cyclones up 3-0, but Privett would run into trouble in the innings to come, giving up three runs on a pair
of solo homers and after a RBI single by Kyle Larsen in the fifth, the game was tied 3-3.
“It wasn’t too bad, both homeruns
that he gave up weren’t on bad pitches,” said Brooklyn catcher Dan Cummins. “They
were pitches that I called. I called the wrong pitch and they just got them. He made his pitches when he had to and that’s
just the way it happens.”
Josh Appell would take over for Privett
in the sixth and would keep the game tied through the eighth, giving way to Grady Hinchman after he gave up a bunt single
to Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and walked Christopher Kunda. After
a sloppy fielding play by Brooklyn right fielder Jonathan Sanchez, Cervelli would score and the Cyclones
would have to come from behind in their last turn at bat against Yankees closer Nicholas
Peterson to win the game.
Fortunately for the Cyclones, Mark Wright would draw a two-out walk and Tim Grogan would continue his hot hitting of
late, scorching a double into the gap in left-center field, scoring Elvis Cruz who pinch ran for Wright, tying the game and
sending it into extra innings.
Hinchman would stay in the stay in the game for Brooklyn
in the top of the tenth and would get the Yankees in order after a Tim O’Brien single and the Cyclones were primed to
end the game in the tenth. Like Hinchman, Peterson, who has had control problems this year, would stay in the game and after
giving up a lead off double to Holden and a sacrifice bunt by Jon Schemmel, Brooklyn would have a runner on the third with
one out with two of their hottest hitters due up in Dustin Martin and Ivan Naccarata.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Rather than pitch to either one of them, Yankees manager Gaylen Pitts opted to walk both the left-handed Martin and
Naccarata and pitch to the right-handed Cummins. Facing ten batters by the time Cummins was at the plate, it was obvious that
Peterson was exhausted and as a result, the Cyclone catcher slashed 2-2 fastball for a single that scored Holden and gave
the Mets Single-A affiliate a 5-4 extra inning win .
“I kind of thrive in those situations,” said Cummins. “You want to be the guy to have the opportunity
to end the game.”
Now with a four-game home winning streak and two consecutive series victories under their belt, the Cyclones are three games over .500 for the first time since last season and feel primed for a run
at the McNamara division championship.
“It’s just taking care of business,” said Martin. “If we keep playing the way we’re playing,
we’re going to be a tough to beat in the playoffs, where we plan to be.”
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