Clones 7, Renegades 3

After going 10 games without a home run, the Cyclones connected on a pair of round-trippers en route to a 7-3 victory over the Hudson Valley Renegades. Rainy Lara improved to 4-1 after allowing three runs, two earned, over his 5.0 innings. Kevin Plawecki paced the Brooklyn bats with a 3-3 effort, including an RBI double.

Brooklyn wasted no time getting on the scoreboard on Wednesday evening as Jeff Reynolds, making only his second start of the season, connected on a leadoff home run to give the Cyclones an early 1-0 advantage.

After two scoreless innings, Brooklyn’s lead would grow in the top of the fourth, and once again, it was courtesy of the long ball. Dimas Ponce connected on a two-out single to start the threat and Eudy Pina followed with a booming blast over the left field wall to push the Cyclones advantage to 3-0.

But in the bottom of the frame, the Cyclones got a taste of their own medicine as Tommy Coyle connected on a solo blast off of Rainy Lara to trim the Brooklyn lead to 3-1 after four.

The back-and-forth scoring continued in the fifth inning courtesy of an RBI double from Kevin Plawecki that chased home Ponce to make it 4-1 in favor of the Cyclones. But in the bottom of the frame, the Renegades struck again, this time thanks to a Leonardo Reginatto double, to slice the Cyclones lead back to a pair at 4-2.

The Renegades cut even further into the lead in the sixth, taking advantage of a pair of Cyclones miscues. Eudy Pina dropped a foul pop up that would have been the first out of the inning, extending the at-bat for Justin O’Conner, who promptly singled to start the threat. The Renegades designated hitter moved into scoring position on a passed ball that eluded Brooklyn’s backstop Jeff Glenn before scoring on a line drive single off the bat of Tommy Coyle, which made it a one-run game at 4-3 in favor of the Cyclones.

David Wynn tossed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit, to keep the Cyclones ahead by a single run. But in the ninth Brooklyn would extend their lead with some breathing room courtesy of Brandon Nimmo.

The ninth inning rally started with a two-out single from Pina and a walk of Jeff Reynolds to put a pair of runners aboard. Nimmo then cleared the bags with an opposite field two-RBI double that was coupled with a missed catch error by Renegades shortstop Ryan Dunn that allowed the Cyclones centerfielder to circle the bases to push the Cyclones advantage to 7-3. Tyler Vanderheiden pitched a perfect ninth to close out the game and give Brooklyn the victory.