Cyclones Fall to BlueClaws, 11-2, In Series Finale

BOX SCORE

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Brooklyn Cyclones could not capture the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Maimonides Park against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, falling 11-2. The loss marks Brooklyn’s fifth defeat in the series. The 16 hits allowed by Cyclones arms is two shy of the most surrendered in a game this year. Jersey Shore scored 10+ runs in 3 of the 6 games in the series.

RHP David Buchanan was splendid in his 2024 High-A debut. The righty hurled seven four-hit innings with four strikeouts, all without walking anybody.

Five different BlueClaws players finished with multi-hit affairs, headlined by 3B Felix Reyes who went 4-for-5 at the dish. RF Hendry Mendez pieced together a 3-for-5 day, with three runs batted in and four runs scored.

Jersey Shore got the scoring started early, putting up a three spot in the first. With two on and one out, Mendez got his strong day started with an RBI double on a sharp line drive to left, driving in the game’s first run. The next two batters both provided RBI singles, as Reyes and CF Emaarion Boyd each collected knocks to make the game 3-0.

Jersey Shore followed suit with another in the second. After RHP Jack Wenninger walked LF Troy Schreffler to start the frame, Schreffler proceeded to steal second. Then, 2B Trent Farquhar laced an RBI single to score Schreffler and push the lead to 4-0. Wenninger would sit down the next two to retire the side, and that would end the day for the right-hander, who exited due to pitch count. Wenninger allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits over two frames.

The teams traded zeroes until the top half of the seventh. RHP Luis G. Moreno and RHP Alfred Vega combined on four scoreless two-hit innings, but the Brooklyn bats failed to mount much offense during that span.

With RHP Gregori Louis on in the seventh for his 2nd High-A appearance, Mendez tattooed an RBI single off of him to push the lead to 5-0.

Jersey Shore enjoyed its largest crooked number in the eighth. With RHP Henry Henry on in relief, the first two batters reached on a triple and a walk. After a strikeout, Farquhar knocked a run in with an RBI ground rule double. Henry got DH Aiden Miller to pop out for the second out, but Jersey Shore was far from done. With runners on second and third, 1B Keaton Anthony cleared the bases with a two run single. Then, Mendez brought Anthony home with an RBI triple. That would end Henry’s day, as RHP Alfred Vega came on in relief.

Vega immediately issued a wild pitch, allowing Mendez to score from third. Reyes would then single, and be driven in by Boyd thanks to an RBI double which made it 11-0.

Brooklyn did not go down without a fight, however. In the ninth, the ‘Clones spoiled the shutout bid. After CF Nick Morabito led off the frame with a walk, 1B Chris Suero reached on an error to put a pair on with no outs. After a pop out, LF Kellum Clark drove one in on a fielder’s choice to plate Brooklyn’s first run. Then, RF Omar De Los Santos laced an RBI single - his second hit of the game - to cut it to 11-2.

Brooklyn returns to action on Tuesday night in North Carolina, when it opens a six-game set against the Winston-Salem Dash. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.