Staten Island Wins A Pitcher’s Duel

The Staten Island Yankees returned home to Richmond County Bank Ballpark looking to build off of their 8-5 win Sunday afternoon in Connecticut. Tonight’s game against the Williamsport Crosscutters would be a battle of the pitchers. As Jorge Guzman would toe the mound for the Yankees and Long Island native Kyle Young would pitch for the Crosscutters.

Kyle Young would not disappoint the 100 plus friends and family he had in attendance. Young dominated the Baby Bombers going through five innings without allowing a hit and striking out 7.

The SI Yankees would finally break through with one out in the bottom of the sixth when center fielder Cesar Diaz would hit a line drive single down the right field line. Shortstop Wilkerman Garcia would follow up with a bunt single which would be the end of the night for Kyle Young.

“Like I said from the beginning those guys don’t give up. Cesar came up with a big hit and Wilkerman had that bunt and you know things started rolling,” said Manager Julio Mosquera. “The boys were jumping around in the dugout, I just looked over there after Cesar’s hit and I thought someone won the Powerball, they got happy and all of a sudden things started rolling.”

Unfortunately for Young, those two runs would come across to score when Kendall Coleman would single up the middle to bring home Diaz and Garcia. Young turned in a great performance and would finish with a line of 5.1 innings 2 earned runs and 2 hits.

“He (Kyle Young) kept us off balance with his off-speed pitches, throwing his fastball down and away and he just kept mixing his pitches really good,” said Mosquera. “He gave us a hard time today and he just probably got tired towards the end and gave up that hit.”

Jorge Guzman would not be upstaged on his own home field has he looked to bounce back from the loss in his last outing. Guzman had great control of his pitches, as he would go on to strike out 8 batters.

He would hit a bump in the road in the top of the third inning, as he would give up his only run on a 1 out single by Adam Haseley. After that, he would go on to register two scoreless innings and finish with a line of 5 innings 8 strikeouts and 1 run.

“He (Guzman) gave us a chance, he gave up a run and a few hard hit balls but I think he threw the ball pretty well, I was pleased with him,” said Mosquera.

The Crosscutters would add one more in the top of the sixth when Josh Roeder would give up a solo home run to Greg Pickett. After the Yankees broke through in the bottom of the sixth to tie it at two, the game would go into extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth Ryan Krill would get things going with a one out single. A single by Danienger Perez and a walk to Cesar Diaz followed that and load the bases for Wilkerman Garcia. His bunt single earlier sent pitcher Kyle Young packing, he would continue his heroics with a one out line drive single between the first and second baseman bringing home the winning run.

“I want any guy up there, to be honest, I trust every hitter we have in here, but like I told Wilkerman you got to be aggressive early in the count,” said Mosquera. “I told him they are going to try and blow you away with a fastball early don’t miss it, and he sure didn’t.”

They are now 16-8 at home but the last time they were at home the Aberdeen Ironbirds swept them. The 3-2 win is the second in a row for the Baby Bombers which the hope to continue and regain their home field advantage. Tomorrow’s game is set for 7 p.m. as Drew Finley will take the mound for the Baby Bombers.

Notes: Center Fielder Dom-Thompson Williams and First Basemen Dalton Blaser were called up to the Charleston Riverdogs. Replacing them were Cesar Diaz and Ryan Krill who both came up with huge hits in tonight’s game.

Twitter: @teambrandon13 Email: [email protected]

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