Vermont 4-Run Rally In 9th Inning For 7-6 Win

BROOKLYN, NY --- The Vermont Lake Monsters rallied from a 6-3 deficit with four runs in the top of the ninth inning off of the New York-Penn League's save leader for a 7-6 victory over the Brooklyn Cyclones on Monday night at KeySpan Park.

Trailing by three runs and facing Cyclones closer Michael Powers, who was 14-for-14 in save opportunities this season, the Lake Monsters put together four hits and a walk to score the four runs. J.R. Higley got the rally started with a one-out triple and, after a walk to Justin Boxom, scored on a Sandy Leon RBI single. Jack Walker followed with an RBI single to center to score Bloxom and advance pinch runner J.J. Sferra to third.

A Ronnie LaBrie groundout scored Sferra with the tying run and Francisco Soriano capped off the rally with a RBI single to centerfield to score Walker with the go ahead run. Vermont closer Clayton Dill allowed a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth, but struckout Sam Honeck with the tying run on third base to end the game and earn his eighth save of the year.

Brooklyn had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning without benefit of a base hit as the Cyclones took advantage of four walks by Vermont starter Jack McGeary and a fielding error by second baseman Francisco Soriano. McGeary allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with six walks over four innings.

The Lake Monsters rallied for three runs in the fifth inning on a bases loaded Ronnie LaBrie triple, his sixth triple of the season. The Cyclones retook the lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off reliever Steven Stewart for the 6-3 lead.

Leon was 3-for-4 with a run and RBI for the Lake Monsters, while LaBrie tied a team season-high with four RBI. Federico Tanco (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth inning for the win, while Dean Weaver struckout two in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his debut with Vermont (29-33).

Brooklyn starter Darin Gorski alllowed three runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts over six innings, while Luis Rivera was 2-for-3 with one run scored and Justin Garber scored twice for Brooklyn (40-23).

The Lake Monsters and Cyclones will play the second of the three-game series at Brooklyn on Tuesday with Kyle Morrison scheduled to start for Vermont.