Brooklyn 3, Connecticut 2

photo by Christopher Gregory

The Cyclones struck early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first and held on to defeat the Connecticut Tigers 3-2 on Wednesday night.

A rainy afternoon didn’t keep Cyclones fans away, as 9,270 were in attendance. This was the 20th time in franchise history that Brooklyn drew over 9,000 fans in a single game.

Brooklyn is now 22-6 on the season when scoring the first run of the ballgame. The 22 wins are the most in the NYPL.

Brandon Nimmo began the first frame with a single to center field before Phillip Evans reached on a fielder’s choice. Jayce Boyd then drew a four-pitch walk, and Kevin Plawecki followed with a two-run line drive double to right.

But, the Tigers evened things up in the fourth. Danry Vasquez led off with a double down the right field line. Juaner Aguasvivas then struck out swinging before Devon Travis walked. After Tyler Hanover flied out to right field, Patrick Smith smacked a line drive double to right, scoring both Vasquez and Travis.

Brooklyn took the lead in the fifth when Boyd reached on a fielding error by Connecticut third baseman Edgar Corcino. Nimmo started things off with a line drive single to left and advanced to second when Evans grounded out. Nimmo scored on the following play – as Boyd took first on the error – giving Brooklyn a 3-2 lead. The Cyclones are now 23-3 when they score three or more runs, and are 3-14 when they score two runs or less. Kevin Plawecki then grounded into a double play to end the inning, and were retired in order in the next three frames.

Nimmo led the Cyclones, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. In his last three games, Nimmo has gone 9-for-15 with seven runs scored, three doubles, one home run, and three RBI. Since July 13th, he has hit safely in 15 of 19 games.

Brooklyn starting pitcher Gabriel Ynoa (3-1) earned the win, going 6.0 innings. He allowed two earned runs off three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Matt Koch threw 2.0 innings of scoreless relief before Tyler Vanderheiden came in to pitch the ninth and pick up his seventh save of the season.

The Cyclones will play the second game of a three-game series against the Connecticut Tigers tomorrow, Thursday, August 2nd at MCU Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Also, tomorrow is Irish Heritage Night at the ballpark. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a Cyclones Irish jersey presented by Budweiser. Tickets are available now by visiting the MCU box office, calling 718-507-TIXX, or CLICKING HERE.