Auburn 4, Brooklyn 3

The Cyclones dropped the rubber game of a three-game set with the Auburn Doubledays on Friday night, falling by the score of 4-3. Wilmer Difo’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth scored Cody Dent to give the Doubledays the win. The Cyclones went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

Auburn jumped out quickly on Friday evening, when Cody Runter’s two-out RBI single scored Difo for the first run of the game, giving the Doubledays a 1-0 advantage after one.

The Cyclones would draw even in the third inning when Ismael Tijerina walked andL.J. Mazzilli singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Jared King took advantage of the scoring opportunity, chasing Tijerina home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

Auburn quickly responded by way of an RBI groundout from James Yezzo in the bottom of the frame, to take the 2-1 edge after three. The lead was short lived however, because in the top f the fourth, the Cyclones continued the see-saw scoring in the top of fourth inning. Matt Oberste reached on a two-base throwing error to start the threat, and James Roche singled to put runners on the corner with nobody out. With Tomas Nido batting, Auburn starter Robert Orlan uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Oberste to score the tying run, and later in the at-bat Nido roped a single to center field that scored Roche to give Brooklyn their first lead of the game at 3-2.

In the fifth inning, the Doubledays drew even once again, when Difo started the rally with a leadoff triple, and quickly came around to score on an RBI groundout from Yezzo to knot the score at 3-3.

That is how it would stay, despite numerous scoring opportunities for the Cyclones – including stranding runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings – until the bottom of the ninth.

With Cyclones reliever Ricky Knapp in his second inning of work, Cody Dent started the rally with a double, and when Austin Chubb tried to move him over to third with a sacrifice bunt, Brooklyn catcher Tomas Nido misplayed the ball allowing Chubb to reach and put runners on the corners. With nobody out, the Cyclones intentionally walked Isaac Ballou to load the bags, and moved Patrick Biondi in as the fifth infielder, but Wilmer Difo lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Dent with the game-winning run to give Auburn a 4-3 win.

RHP Johnny Maggliozzi tossed a scoreless inning of relief in his professional debut. The 17th round selection from the University of Florida did not allow a hit and struck out one.

The Cyclones head to Norwich, CT on Saturday to open a three-game series with the Tigers. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM with RHP Miller Diaz toeing the rubber for Brooklyn.

Key Stats

L.J. Mazzilli: 2-for-4

Matthew Oberste: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 1 R

Tomas Nido: 2-for-3

Patrick Biondi: 1-for-5, 1 SB

Robert Gsellman: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K

Johnny Magliozzi: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Ricky Knapp: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K

(Team Report)