Pregent Notches Three Hits - Including First Home Run of the Season - as Cyclones Fall to Emperors, 5-2

BOX SCORE

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Despite C Christian Pregent launching his first home run of the season, the Brooklyn Cyclones dropped Thursday’s contest to the Rome Emperors, 5-2. Beyond the long ball, Pregent also collected three hits, good for a season high.

Pregent’s three hits marked nearly half of Brooklyn’s total hits on Thursday, as Rome’s pitching staff was sharp all night. LHP Mitch Farris limited Brooklyn’s bats from the jump, tossing six two-run innings, allowing only five hits. From there, the Emperors bullpen combined on three scoreless frames. Brooklyn was held to only two hits over the final five innings.

For the sixth time during the current home stand, Brooklyn’s opponent scored first. The Cyclones have allowed runs in either the first or second inning in five of the six games during the course of the home stand.

That trend held true again on Thursday, as Rome plated a pair in the top of the first. LF Ethan Workinger got it started with an RBI triple with one out. Moments later, DH Drew Compton plated Workinger with an RBI single of his own, giving the Emperors an early 2-0 lead.

Brooklyn did get one back in the home half, as 3B D’Andre Smith collected his first RBI since returning from the injured list. Brooklyn settled for just a run though, leaving a pair on the basepaths.

The two teams would trade zeroes in the second, as RHP Jonah Tong departed two on and two out. Tong allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits, while striking out four and walking two. The Markham, Ontario native tossed 60 pitches. RHP Jake Stevenson came on in relief, and induced a groundout to retire the side and forced Rome to leave two on the bases.

C Adam Zebrowski clobbered his 10th long ball of the season off of RHP Jake Stevenson, putting Rome up 3-1.

The Emperors followed it up with two more in the fourth, as Workinger picked up RBI’s two and three on the night with a two-run double.

Again, the Cyclones displayed a quick response. In the home half, Pregent took Farris deep for his first home run of the season to cut the deficit to 5-2. Gilbert Gomez’s squad could not scratch across anything further over the final five frames.

The ‘Clones and Emperors return to action on Friday at 7:00 from Maimonides Park. RHP Kade Morris (3-3, 3.33 ERA) gets the ball for Brooklyn, where he’ll be opposed by RHP Luis Vargas (3-1, 2.52 ERA).