How Sweep it is!  BKLYN Completes Sweep of BlueClaws on Sunday

BOX SCORE

*Win: *Zwack (5-1)

Loss: Pipkin (1-5)

Save: Acosta (3)

Home Runs: None

Time of Game: 2:56

Lakewood, NJ (July 24, 2022) – The Brooklyn Cyclones completed a three-game sweep of the Jersey Shore Blue Claws on Sunday afternoon, taking the finale by the score of 6-4. Joe Suozzi went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a pair of RBI and a walk to lead the offensive charge. With the win, the Cyclones improved to 14-10 in the second half and find themselves just ½ a game out of first place behind Hudson Valley.

Nick Zwack (5-1) made the start for Brooklyn and allowed just one run on four hits and a walk over 5.0 innings while striking out seven. Since June 1st, the southpaw has allowed four runs over 44.1 innings for a 0.81 ERA while striking out 51 batters.

The BlueClaws took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Uziel Viloria hit a ground-rule double on the first pitch after about a 10 minute delay to repair second base, chasing home Baron Radcliff with the game’s first run.

But Brooklyn answered quickly scoring four runs in the top of the fourth to take control of the game. JT Schwartz reached on an error to start the rally and Alex Ramirez followed with a single before Jaylen Palmer worked a two-out walk to load the bases. Joe Suozzi took advantage of the scoring change with a frozen rope into left field that scored a pair and put the ‘Clones on top 2-1. Juan Loyo, makin his Cyclones debut, was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Gregory Guerrero and Matt Rudick worked back-to-back walks to push home two more runs and extend the Brooklyn lead to 4-1.

In the sixth inning, the bottom third of the order tacked on some more insurance runs for Brooklyn. Suozzi and Loyo had back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out and Guerrero followed with a booming double to left-centerfield to score the pair and make it 6-1 Brooklyn.

That’s how it would stay until the bottom of the ninth when the BlueClaws took advantage of some wildness from Brooklyn reliever Sammy Tavarez to get back into the game. Tavarez was called for a balk with the bases loaded to push one run home and then issued another walk to load the bases with one out. RHP Daison Acosta came out of the bullpen into the bases loaded jam and was able to limit the damage. The righthander got Luis Garcia to pop out on the infield for out number two, but Ethan Wilson stroked a single into right field to score a pair and make it 6-4 with runners on the corners. Carlos De La Cruz, who hit a pair of home runs on Saturday and just missed a homer earlier in the game, grounded out to second to end the threat as the Cyclones held on for a 6-4 victory.

Acosta, who collected the save on Sunday afternoon, is now 1-0 with three saves and a 1.45 ERA in eight relief appearances this season. In 18.2 innings out of the bullpen, he has allowed just three runs on nine hits.