One Year ago today - Brooklyn wins 4-3 on ninth inning walk-off, to advance to NY Penn Championship series,

Brooklyn Cyclones 4 Hudson Valley Renegades 3 (box).

Thursday’s game could be labeled Pitching, Pitching, Pitching, and more Pitching.  Friday’s game should then be labeled Relief Pitching, Relief Pitching, and more Relief Pitching and RANFY!  RANFY! 

Just a great, tight playoff game that saw Brooklyn fight back from a 3-1 deficit. 

2019 NY Penn All-Star Matt Cleveland started the game for Brooklyn.  In the top of the first, he gave up a home run but retired the other three hitters.  Brooklyn down 1-0.

PC - John Canary

The bottom of the first, the Cyclones came right back.  Antoine Duplantis singled and stole second.  Lowrie grounded out with Duplantis holding at second.  Wilmer Reyes then singled for his first of his four hits of the night. First and third for Brooklyn.  Luke Ritter then hit a sacrifice fly and we were all tied.

To the top of the second.  After a lead off single, Matt Cleveland walked the next two batters.  The next batter grounded to Wilmer Reyes who was able to get the force at second but not the runner at first as a run scored.  Hudson Valley 2 – Brooklyn 1, men on first and third.

At this point Edgardo Alfonso had seen enough.  Matt Cleveland was replaced by Dan Goggin, 17^th round pick in the 2019 draft from James Madison.  After a strikeout and a ground-out, the inning was over with no further damage. 

In the top of the third, Brooklyn’s bullpen had their only blemish of the night as Dan Goggin allowed a leadoff single to the Hudson Valley third basemen, Nick Sogard, who then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out.  Hudson Valley 3 – Cyclones 1.

Goggin and the Cyclones bullpen would shut the door after that.  In all, Dan went 3 and two/thirds innings, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts.   

Bottom of the third, Brooklyn started to fight back.  On the first pitch of the inning, Ranfy Adon lined a homer to left field.  Hudson Valley 3 – Cyclones 2.

PC - John Canary

Then, with two out in the third, Jake Mangum singled.  He went to second on a pass ball.  Then, when the ball got away from the catcher again, Jake broke for third.  The throw missed the bag, Jake ran home, and we were all tied 3-3. 

Nick MacDonald was next out of the pen for Brooklyn, allowing one hit, no walks and four strikeouts over 2 innings.  Andrew Edwards then followed with 2 no hit innings with one walk and five strikeouts.  In all, Brooklyn pitching struck-out 13 Renegades.

While Brooklyn relief pitchers did their job, the Cyclones had chances to score but could not cash runners in. 

In the sixth, Wilmer Reyes bunted and got on first to start the inning.  After a wild pitch he was on second with no outs but Brooklyn could not get him in.

In the seventh, Yoel Romero led off with a double, and again Brooklyn was not able to score.

In the eighth, the wind tried to help Brooklyn.  With one out Wilmer singled.  Luke Ritter popped up to the second basemen, who dropped the ball as the wind swirled the ball around.  Unfortunately with just one out at the time, Reyes was a dead duck at second.  The next batter, Joe Genord, popped up to third and again the wind played havoc and the third basemen could not make the catch.  Now it was first and third for Brooklyn, two outs and again Brooklyn could not get the run home.

I was worrying that those missed changes would come back to bite the Cyclones.

Until the ninth, Yoel Romero walked to lead off and catcher Jake Ortega bunted him to second.  Alfonzo has his players take bunting drills everyday and it pays off.  Not too many big league catchers can bunt but I digress. 

The next batter, Ranfy Adon, doubled on a line drive over the right fielder’s head.  Cyclones win 4-3.

Brooklyn now plays for the NY Penn League championship for the first time since 2010 when Wally Backman managed the team and Darrell Ceciliani played center field and hit lead off.  While Brooklyn was once named co-winners, they have never been outright NY Penn League champions. 

The championship series is also a best of three series with Brooklyn once again having home field advantage.  They travel to Massachusetts Sunday for game one to take on Boston’s Lowell Spinners. 

Relive the magic of the NYPL Semifinals, when Ranfi Adon sent the Cyclones to the title series. #AmazinStartsHere pic.twitter.com/2UO2TSRMNV

— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) March 16, 2020