STATEN ISLAND, NY- One of the characteristics Staten Island Yankee manager Pat McMahon likes most about his team is their never say die attitude.

Once again, that was on display in a thrilling come from behind 5-4 walkoff win over the Verrazano rival Cyclones before a third consecutive sellout (7,171) at a loud Richmond County Bank Ball Park by the Ferry Terminal Saturday night. It was the second straight win in their final at bat bolstering Staten Island’s (20-11) McNamara Division lead to seven games over the last place Cyclones (13-18), who looked poised to take their third of four in the season series.

A night earlier, it was Jack Rye who delivered a walkoff bases loaded hit defeating Batavia. This time, the heroics were provided by left fielder Melky Mesa, who drilled a one out three-run home run to left giving his team an exciting victory.

“It feels good,” he said in front of his locker via translator Victor Valencia following getting cream pied by teammate Jahdiel Santamaria with shortstop Addison Maruszak the orchestrator sharing a good chuckle along with teammates. “The way I hit the ball, it felt good to win the game.”

“When you got that many guys contributing, it’s a special group that’s worked very hard and believes in itself,” a happy McMahon praised in the winner’s dugout as he took in some fireworks from across the water. “[Mesa] has been working hard in the cage with Hawk [Ty Hawkins]. It was his moment.”

After jumping out to an early one-run first inning lead thanks to second baseman David Adams’ first professional home run to center, the Baby Bombers were held in check by Brooklyn starter Brad Holt, who settled down after escaping a first and second one out second inning jam by getting Ray Kruml chasing a breaking pitch out of the zone and Adams looking at another nasty curve.

In fact, the Cyclones’ righty retired 12 of the final 13 he faced before parting ways with one out in the sixth due to reaching his limit. By that point, his teammates had supported him with four runs including a deep two-run Jordan Abruzzo blast to left off Bomber lefty reliever Tim Dennehy a half inning earlier.

“[Holt] is an outstanding prospect who has a good career ahead of him,” McMahon said. “We hit the ball hard early. He pitched himself out of a jam. Got some strikeouts because he’s a quality guy. I saw him in college a lot. His breaking ball has really really come along well. And with his fastball and straight change, it makes it tough.”

Staten Island didn’t fare much better against Brooklyn’s Roy Merritt, who retired six of the first seven he faced before Adams nearly had his second home run of the night driving one to the opposite field off the right field fence. The night before, his hustle helped the team comeback to beat Batavia. This time, that same aggressive baserunning got Adams’ a one out triple in the eighth, allowing him to score on Brian Baisley’s RBI bouncer back to Merritt for a 1-3 forceout slicing the deficit to 4-2.

“Great feeling,” Adams boasted. “We had great clutch pitching. Our relievers. Casey [Erickson] did a good job holding them to two. Dennehy did a great job. Unfortunately, had a blunder with me up the middle on that hit. What are you going to do. And then Brewer with that key bunt. Pruitt kept it going and of course, Mesa with that bomb. What more could you ask for?”

Trailing by a couple, the stirring comeback wouldn’t have been possible without some splendid pitching from Andy Shive. After putting the first two on via a leadoff Eric Campbell double off the center field wall and getting himself in further trouble by choosing to go to third on a comebacker but throwing high and too late, the righty suddenly was facing a first and third no out hole.

That’s when he showed great poise by getting on the same page with catcher Mitch Abeita, striking out the next three to climb out of it. First, he put a heater right on the outside corner getting Sean Ratliff looking. The next victim was John Servidio, who went fishing on a dipping curve out of the zone. With the outside formula working to perfection, the battery duo didn’t change much as Shive’s 2-2 curve down and away caught nothing but air from Jake Eigsti allowing him to pull a houdini act and give his team some momentum.

“I kind of left the ball up and got in trouble early giving up that leadoff double off the wall. And then on that ball, I didn’t get a good grip on it and put myself in a really bad situation,” Shive explained. “I just had to refocus and compose myself. Try to do my best to get those three outs and give my team a chance.”

“I got a lot of confidence in [Abeita]. When I’m ahead in the count, that’s a huge deal. It allows me to throw my pitch. I have a lot of confidence in him. … We’re just trying to attack the zone the best we could. Make him hit our pitch in that situation.”

Facing Brooklyn’s Stephen Clyne, they were able to carry it thanks to a great drag bunt up the third baseline by pinch hitter Dan Brewer, who just beat the throw across the diamond for a leadoff hit. Third baseman Braedyn Pruitt followed with a clean line drive single up the middle putting runners on at first and second forcing Cyclones’ skipper Edgar Alfonzo to go over strategy with his infield. Abeita’s sac bunt failed to advance the runners as Clyne quickly picked it up and tossed out Brewer at third for the first out.

Following McMahon sending in Santamaria to pinch run for Abeita, the hero Mesa stepped up to the plate and drilled the winning three-run walkoff homer over the left field fence touching off a nice celebration at the plate for the struggling left fielder, who this time came through with his bat instead of his arm.

“It was a battle tonight,” McMahon pointed out. “So many different guys contribute in so many different ways. … That’s the players taking care of it. You put them in their success role and it’s all good. They work hard on hitting. They work hard on their situational game. They work hard and love to play for each other.”

“It’s always exciting to win a game on a walkoff,” Shive added.

“It was all them though. I just tried to give them a chance. It was good and hopefully we can take this momentum into the game [Sunday].”

Notes: In a losing effort, Holt went five and a third permitting one earned on four hits while walking a couple and fanning seven getting a hard luck no-decision. … Though he didn’t have his best stuff, Staten Island SP Casey Erickson still went the first five allowing a couple of earned on six hits while walking a pair and K-ing six while escaping numerous jams to give his team a chance. … RP Daniel Kapala tossed a perfect seventh and eighth while striking out one before the winner Shive came on and stranded a couple with splendid pitching to improve to 4-2. … The game was delayed seven minutes but took a very manageable two hours and 41 minutes before the ninth sellout of the summer with Monday expected to be No.10. … The middle game is later today at 5 PM at KeySpan Park in Coney Island.

Bombers honor Rogers in Home Run For Life: During  break in the game, the Staten Island organization held their second Home Run For Life celebration honoring nine year-old son of owner Jane, Jack Rogers. It was a couple of years after he was born hat he was diagnosed with autism. His problems got even worse when as a five year-old, he was diagnosed with ITP, which is a rare blood disorder that affects the immune system.

Due to health issues, he’s been in the hospital 15 times with each requiring IV treatment to increase his platelet count. His fight might continue but this brave kid has perservered. With both teams out just like Opening Night, he took a victory lap slapping each player’s hand as he rounded the bases to a nice round of applause.

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