Friscia's Two Homers Not Enough; Claws Fall 11-5

JERSEY SHORE, NJ - Brooklyn hit four home runs, enough to hold off the BlueClaws, who got two homers from Vito Friscia, in an 11-5 Cyclones victory on Tuesday night at FirstEnergy Park.

Brooklyn (8-14) takes the first of the six game series and first of 30 meetings between the two teams this year. The BlueClaws (9-15) have now dropped four games in a row.

Home runs were the story early in the game. Brooklyn's Brett Baty hit an opposite field solo shot in the first inning, his first of the season, to open the scoring. Joe Genord followed in the second inning with a two-run home run of his own to put the Cyclones up 3-0.

The BlueClaws got back in the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run by Vito Friscia, his first as a BlueClaw.

Jersey Shore starter Josh Hendrickson gave up three runs over four innings, striking out four.

Brooklyn extended their lead in the fifth inning off Mike Adams. Two scored on a Ronny Mauricio triple and Baty added an RBI single for a 6-2 lead.

The BlueClaws got back in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Friscia hit his 2nd HR of the game after a balk scored a run. However, Brooklyn opened it back up in the eighth inning on Baty's RBI double and a two-run home run by Francisco Alvarez.

Adrian Hernandez added a home run in the ninth for the Cyclones, who hit four on the night.

Friscia's two home runs marked the second time this week - Jhailyn Ortiz on Thursday - that the BlueClaws had a multi-home run game.

Baty had three hits and three RBIs for the Cyclones while Antoine Duplantis had two hits and scored twice.

The teams continue their series on Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park. RHP Adam Leverett (0-0) starts for Jersey Shore. Tickets are available by clicking here.

-Jersey Shore BlueClaws-