Norton, Yankees dispose of Cyclones

Tim Norton carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Staten Island blanked Brooklyn, 9-0, on Sunday to return to the New York-Penn League Championship Series.

The defending champion Yankees swept the Cyclones in the best-of-3 series.

With family and friends watching his first postseason appearance from the stands, Norton (1-0) ultimately gave up one hit, struck out four and walked three over seven frames.

After retiring Luis Rivera and Dustin Martin in the seventh, the University of Connecticut product gave up a single to Dan Murphy on a 3-2 count to break up the no-hit bid.

"I left a fastball right over the plate," said Norton, a seventh-round pick, 224th overall, in this year's draft.

Pitching coach Carlos Chantres made a visit to the mound to "give me a breather," Norton explained, adding, "I thought he was taking me out at first."

The 23-year-old right-hander struck out Elvis Cruz with three pitches -- a fastball, slider and splitter -- to end the frame.

During the regular season, Norton was second in the league with 83 strikeouts and did not allow a run in his last four starts.

He was not particularly focused on the no-hitter due to a pitch count, saying, "I knew I wasn't going to go the whole game."

Luke Trubee replaced Norton in the eighth and tossed two scoreless innings of relief in the two-hitter. Trubee gave up a leadoff single in the eighth to David Wabick, who was caught trying for a double on the same play.

After walking Jon Schemmel, Trubee retired the final five batters, fanning two. He struck out Martin on a 1-2 pitch to seal the victory.

The Baby Bombers posted a six-run third in support of their starter. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Seth Fortenberry hit an RBI single to spark the scoring. After starter Todd Privett (0-1) hit Wilmer Pino to load the bases, Mitch Hilligoss delivered a two-run single and Pino came home on an error by left fielder Martin.

Kyle Larsen, who went 3-for-4, followed with a two-run homer, his second blast in as many days. The designated hitter slugged an eighth-inning solo shot in Saturday's 5-2 win.

Wilkins De La Rosa and Pino sandwiched RBI singles in the sixth and eighth respectively around Colin Curtis' sacrifice fly in the seventh. Chris Kunda went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored.

Privett surrendered six runs on six hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk over three innings as the Cyclones stranded three and could not move a runner into scoring position.