Cyclones Use Six-Run Seventh To Down Dash In Road Finale

• BOX SCORE

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (September 1, 2024) — After being held scoreless through six innings and seeing 17 straight batters retired at one point, Brooklyn’s offense exploded for six runs and eight hits in the seventh inning to down the Winston-Salem Dash, 6-2, on Sunday night from Truist Stadium.

Morabito, who had Brooklyn’s (28-32, 61-65) only hit through the first six frames, ignited a rally in the seventh with a leadoff single. 3B Boston Baro and 1B Chris Suero followed with back-to-back knocks to left to load the bases with nobody out.

C Ronald Hernandez dug in and rifled the second pitch he saw over the left fielder’s head and off the fence. The 20-year-old motored into second with a two-run double, placing the Cyclones in front, 2-0.

After a mound visit, Brooklyn stayed on the attack. 2B D’Andre Smith poked a fly ball into shallow left field that was dropped by the shortstop trying to make an over-the-shoulder, basket catch. Suero scored on Smith’s single to stretch the advantage to three. LF Omar De Los Santos promptly slapped an RBI knock into left to bring home another tally.

Following a pitching change and a flyout, SS Kevin Villavicencio put the finishing touches on the offensive avalanche. With the runners in motion, the 20-year-old floated a double down the right-field line to clear the bases. Two runs scored on the two-base hit to place the Cyclones in front, 6-0.

Brooklyn sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame, tallying a season-high eight hits in a single inning.

The Cyclones fell one out shy of a shutout on Sunday, as the Dash (26-34, 57-69) scratched across a pair of runs in the ninth inning on a fielding error and a RBI double from SS Wilber Sánchez.

LHP Felipe De La Cruz set the tone for Brooklyn’s pitching staff, tossing 3.0 innings of three-hit shutout ball in an abbreviated outing for his second start of the week.

RHP Ryan Lambert — the New York Mets’ eighth-round pick out of Oklahoma — came on in the fourth and tossed a scoreless inning of work, earning a strikeout in his professional debut.

RHP Layonel Ovalles (1-0) entered out of the bullpen in the fifth and tossed two perfect innings — striking out four of the six hitters he faced — to earn his first High-A victory.

RHP Dakota Hawkins emerged with two on and two out in the ninth and induced a fly out to left for the game’s final out and his first career save.

Winston-Salem’s LHP Shane Murphy dazzled over his 6.0 innings on the mound, allowing just one hit and facing the minimum in a no-decision.

RHP Luke Bell (0-1) was charged with his first High-A defeat after allowing runs and failing to record an out in the seventh.

Following the league-wide off day on Monday, the Cyclones will return to Coney Island to open the final homestand of the regular season against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, on Tuesday night. Neither team has announced a probable starter for the lid-lifter. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.