STATEN ISLAND, NY- If first impressions were deadly, then the Cyclones have to be pleased with the position they’ve put themselves in.

A four-run ninth allowed Brooklyn to come from behind and pull out an 8-4 win over the Bombers in Game One of the best-of-three game first round series before 2,313 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Sunday night.

With the next two games on their turf back in Coney Island, the McNamara’s best team during the regular season is in the driver’s seat with two chances to wrap up the series at Key Span Park with Game Two set for later tonight.

A big reason why they prevailed was the productive bat of left fielder Lucas Duda, who slugged a tying two-run home run in the sixth off Staten Island starter Ryan Pope and later drove home a couple of more in the pivotal ninth off Bomber closer Jonathan Ortiz to give his team some insurance.

With his team trailing by a couple of runs in the sixth, Duda came to the plate thanks to a two out single from Mets rehabbing backup catcher Ramon Castro. It was the Cyclones first hit off Pope since a Raul Reyes RBI single during a two-run second.

Duda didn’t make any mistake on a Pope fastball which was up, hammering it off the black in dead center about 425 feet which tied it.

“Ramon got on. Luckily, I made contact with a fastball. It was just a lucky day,” the outfielder indicated in the winner’s dugout afterwards.

With the game still tied, the Cyclones had a good chance to go ahead in the eighth off Staten Island reliever Ryan Zink. A one out Castro hit put runners on the corners but Zink worked out of it by getting Duda swinging and then got some help from shortstop Justin Snyder, who made a diving snag of a sinking Jason Jacobs line drive.

But Zink ran into trouble in the ninth after a one out walk to Matt Bouchard and an infield hit by Reyes which put two runners on.

Staten Island skipper Mike Gillespie didn’t mess around opting to go with his best in Ortiz. But a great at bat by Brooklyn’s Jake Eigsti resulted in a line drive hit to left which loaded the bases.

Then came a key play. Playing for the force at any base, Staten Island nearly caught a break when first baseman Taylor Holiday made a diving scoop of a sharp grounder by Brooklyn’s Ezequiel Carrera. He got up and quickly tossed home to Jose Gil but the throw was in the dirt which made the catcher bobble it. Gil scrambled to get back to the plate but home plate umpire Joe Hannigan ruled Bouchard safe for the go-ahead run.

“[Taylor] Holiday made a good play but the ball was in the dirt and was bobbled. He may or may not have been out,” a disappointed Gillespie expressed after also pondering an earlier call in the inning which was properly ruled backswing interference with Reyes up. He made contact with Gil but by rule, it’s unintentional interference which puts the runner back to first and allows the hitter to get back in the box.

“I just rushed it,” Holiday lamented while sitting at his locker. “I had a little more time than I thought. It’s not the end. Hopefully, we can get two there.”

After a bases loaded walk to Brooklyn second baseman Micah Schilling gave them a two-run lead, Duda delivered another huge hit lacing a two-run single to right which put Brooklyn up 8-4.

“It was a big win for us. He came up with the big hits tonight,” pointed out Eigsti. “All tied up, it was good to get hits and put together some quality at bats.”

“I knew we we’re going to have to do it off Ortiz. We felt like we just needed one run because of our bullpen,” the third baseman noted referring to a Cyclone pen which shutdown the Bomber attack thanks to four combined perfect innings (5th thru 8th) from Will Morgan and Stephen Clyne before closer Eddie Kunz got the final three outs including freezing Holiday to end it with two Staten Island runners on.

“We had a chance early but couldn’t punch a run across,” Gillespie said. “They were excited to play. It was a good effort. Some losses are tougher to take than others.”
His ballclub loaded the bases with one out against Brooklyn starter Mike Antonini in the home first thanks to a couple of infield hits from Snyder and third baseman Braedyn Pruitt sandwiched around Holiday who was beaned. However, right fielder David Williams K’d swinging and center fielder Austin Krum bounced out to second which ended the early threat.

The Cyclones drew first blood getting two runs in the second off Pope when he put the first two runners on via a walk to Jason Jacobs and a J.R. Voyles ground rule double to left.

An infield single to second by Reyes scored the first run. Eigsti followed with a sac fly to center which gave Brooklyn a two-run lead.

The Bombers finally got to Antonini thanks to a two out fourth inning rally. Krum doubled down the left field line which got it started. Then a Gil fly ball double dropped in front of a diving Duda which allowed Krum to score their first run slicing the deficit in half.

They weren’t done as DH Chris Raber’s infield single eluded Bouchard going to the edge of the outfield allowing a hustling Gil to tie the game. Left fielder Matt Morris then connected for a two-run home run driving a pitch over the left field wall which suddenly gave Staten Island a 4-2 lead.

“It was a fastball. Middle in. I put a good swing on it,” Morris later said.

Having settled down, Pope retired 11 straight Cyclones including impressively fanning the side in the fifth. He got the first two hitters in the sixth before Castro’s hit and Duda’s big blow turned the tide.

“Maybe losing the first game will light a fire under us. It’s win or go home,” Snyder stated as he packed for tomorrow’s game after finishing with two hits and a walk.
“We’ve had good character all year long never giving up,” Raber added after a hit, RBI and run scored in four at bats.

“I’m anxious to see how we come out,” Snyder added. “We’ve got a good chance. We pitch well, field and hit.”
They’ll find out what they’re made of starting tonight.

Notes: Pope went the first six allowing four earned on four hits while walking two and striking out four. … Zink took the loss falling to 0-1 after giving up two runs (1 ER) in two and a third walking two and K-ing one. … Despite the lengthy Brooklyn ninth, the game still took less than three hours to complete. … Castro finished 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored. … Retiring all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth, Clyne (1-0) picked up the win for Brooklyn. … Gillespie indicated that the Game Two starter will be rehabbing Yankee pitcher Darrell Rasner, who will oppose Brooklyn ace Dylan Owen.